York Regional Police, the force that polices Markham, announced on Thursday, Feb. 5, that it has arrested and charged 27 people in an organized crime and corruption investigation, including seven serving members of the Toronto Police Service and one retired Toronto officer.

The remaining 19 people charged are not police officers. The seven-month investigation was given the name Project South.

A plot stopped in York Region

According to York police, the case began in June 2025, when officers learned of and stopped a conspiracy to commit murder at a home in York Region. A marked York Regional Police cruiser was stationed at the residence, and on June 20 a suspect vehicle approached the home and struck that cruiser, police said.

Investigators allege that before that incident, a Toronto police constable had unlawfully searched a police database and obtained confidential information. As the probe widened, police say they found evidence of many more improper database searches by the same constable and by other Toronto officers.

In several cases, police allege, addresses turned up by those searches later became the scenes of crimes, including an extortion, commercial robberies and shootings. Investigators believe the confidential information was passed along to people known to various criminal networks.

Drug charges as well

York police said Project South investigators also arrested a number of suspects who now face charges of commercial-level drug trafficking. The drugs listed by police include cocaine, methamphetamine, illicit cannabis, fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone.

York police say the full list of people charged is available on the force's website. None of the allegations has been tested in court.

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said the case shows how organized crime can reach into trusted institutions, and he said police would not rest until anyone abusing their power as an officer is held accountable.

This investigation also underscores the insidious, corrosive nature of organized crime, and highlights how these criminals find a way to infiltrate even the most well-protected institutions across our society.

— Jim MacSween, chief, York Regional Police

Why it matters locally

York Regional Police serves Markham and the rest of the region, and the investigation began with a threat against a household inside York Region. Police allege the leaked confidential data was tied to violence and extortion at specific addresses.

The investigation is continuing. Police are asking anyone with information to contact York Regional Police, or to call Crime Stoppers to share tips anonymously.