Peel Regional Police have laid more than 100 criminal charges in what investigators say is one of the largest extortion cases the region has ever seen.

The investigation began in December 2025 and brought in partners from the Surrey Police Service in B.C., Canadian border services and the FBI, according to PRP Chief Nishan Duraiappah.

In April, police executed a series of search warrants across multiple locations, leading to the arrest of 17 men. Fourteen of the men are from Ontario, two from B.C. and one from California. In total, they are facing 106 counts, including 11 extortion charges and 75 firearm offences, police told reporters Monday.

“Extortion is not a new crime, but it has evolved,” PRP Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said, noting that the South Asian community has become a prime target of violence.

“The community deserves to live without fear and being victimized,” Duraiappah added.

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Investigators say businesses, including restaurants and trucking companies, have been targeted repeatedly after refusing to comply with extortion demands. In one case, officers allege two of the accused were responsible for a shooting and arson at a home in Caledon, Ont., followed by a second shooting targeting a Brampton business.

“Their business model was based on fear, their tools were violence, and their target was our community,” Milinovich said.

According to federal data, cases of extortion across Canada have risen more than 500 per cent over the last decade. According to PRP, there were 476 cases of extortion in the region in 2025.

In 2023, PRP launched a task force focused on extortion that, according to Duraiappah, has laid nearly 500 charges to date.

Investigators linked the 17 accused to the gang For Brothers, which was operating mainly out of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga. But Duraiappah said the investigation was national and international in scope.

“This investigation is far beyond Peel; it has ties to British Columbia, as well as the United States and India,” he said, noting that one of the accused has been linked to an attempted homicide in India.

In total, investigators say the 17 men are linked to 24 cases of extortion, with 16 violent incidents, including arson and shootings. During the investigation, officers also seized six firearms, illicit drugs, cellphones, SIM cards and fraudulent IDs.

Police say six of the men were arrested and detained by the Canada Border Services Agency for immigration inadmissibility. Of those detained, three have been removed from Canada, two remain in custody and one was released on conditions. An additional six may face immigration action after their criminal cases are concluded.

Erin O’Gorman, president of the CBSA, said as of May 7, the CBSA has opened 446 immigration investigations, issued 118 removal orders and removed 55 individuals linked to crimes of extortion. More than 180 of these investigations are linked to the Greater Toronto Area.

O’Gorman said she expects those numbers to increase given the adoption of Bill C-12, which tightens the country’s immigration system.

PRP say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

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