Seventeen arrested as Peel-led task force dismantles extortion network targeting South Asian community

Peel Regional Police have arrested 17 people and laid 106 criminal charges after a multi-agency investigation dismantled an international extortion network that targeted South Asian business owners and community members across Peel, elsewhere in Canada and the United States.

Most of the accused have ties to a criminal network known as For Brothers, Peel Regional Police said. The group is alleged to have carried out a coordinated campaign of intimidation, threats and escalating violence against local businesses.

Investigators believe the network was active in Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon and British Columbia, with links to California. Restaurants and trucking companies were repeatedly targeted after refusing extortion demands.

A Joint Forces Operation involving Peel police and the Ontario Provincial Police began in December 2025, with support from the Canada Border Services Agency, the FBI and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

In one incident, investigators allege two of the accused carried out a shooting and arson at a Caledon home, followed minutes later by a second shooting at a business in Brampton.

Overall, the 17 accused are connected to 24 incidents, 16 of them violent — including arsons and multiple shootings in which 324 rounds were discharged.

Search warrants executed across multiple locations in April 2026 led to the arrests. Police also seized six firearms, illicit drugs, multiple cellphones, SIM cards and fraudulent identification cards.

Six individuals charged by Peel police may face immigration action, including possible removal from Canada, once their criminal cases conclude. Separately, the CBSA arrested and detained six people for immigration-related inadmissibility — three have been removed from Canada, two remain in CBSA custody and one was released by the Immigration and Refugee Board on conditions.

"Extortion is not confined to one region"

"These arrests reflect the coordinated efforts of Peel Regional Police and our law enforcement partners across jurisdictions to disrupt these networks and hold those responsible accountable," Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in the police release.

"Extortion is not confined to one region but connected both nationally and internationally. Addressing it requires strong cross-border collaboration and intelligence-sharing among agencies. We recognize the fear and harm this has caused, particularly within the South Asian community, and remain committed to put a stop to these crimes and keep our communities safe," Duraiappah said.

CBSA president Erin O'Gorman said the agency has opened 446 immigration investigations related to extortion as of May 7, 2026, issued 118 removal orders and enforced 55 removals.

"These crimes are having a serious impact on communities across central and western Ontario, with those responsible showing no regard for the fear and harm they cause," OPP Chief Superintendent Karen Gonneau said in the release.

Police thanked the CBSA, OPP, Surrey Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, FBI and FINTRAC for their assistance. The investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are anticipated.

Peel's Extortion Task Force has been investigating violent extortion incidents — including threats, financial demands, shootings and arsons — since 2023. Anyone with information, or anyone who has been a victim of similar extortion, is asked to contact Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3131 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.