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Canada police bust extortion ring targeting South Asians
The investigation linked the accused to shootings, arson attacks and extortion attempts targeting South Asian businesses across Canada and the United States.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 25, May 2026
- 18:13 EDT
- 62
Charged individuals / peelpolice.ca
Canada’s Peel Regional Police arrested 17 individuals allegedly linked to an international criminal network accused of extorting and targeting South Asian business owners through shootings, arson and threats across Canada and the United States, police announced May 25.
Police said the accused are tied to a criminal group known as “For Brothers,” which investigators believe operated in Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon and British Columbia, with links to California. The arrests followed a months-long Joint Forces Operation launched in December 2025.
Also Read: Indian national arrested by ICE in Los Angeles faces deportation
The 17 men arrested face a combined 106 criminal charges. Those charged include Iqbal Singh Bhagria, 25, of Brampton; Akashdeep Singh, 24, of Norval; Ravinder Singh, 25, of Surrey; Jashanbir Singh, 21, of Surrey; Dilawarpreet Singh, 26, of Brampton; Mandeep Singh, 21, of Brampton; Prabhdeep Sohal, 22, of Brampton; Partapbir Ghuman, 22, of Brampton; Ajaydeep Singh, 29, of Brampton; Navroop Singh, 24, of Brampton; Rajan Singh, 28, of Barrie; Amritjot Singh, 22, of Brampton; Jashanpreet Singh, 22, of Brampton; Guneet Guneet, 27, of Brampton; Sukhwinder Singh, 32, of Brampton; Mohinder Singh, 30, of Brampton; and Gautam Gautam, 22, of Manteca, California.
Images released by Peel Regional Police identified several of the accused, many of whom are from Brampton and Surrey, British Columbia.
Authorities alleged that restaurants and trucking companies were repeatedly targeted after refusing extortion demands, with attacks escalating into shootings and arson. In one incident, investigators said two accused individuals allegedly carried out a shooting and arson at a residence in Caledon before targeting a business in Brampton in a second shooting minutes later.
Overall, investigators linked the accused to 24 incidents, including 16 violent attacks involving arson and multiple shootings in which 324 rounds were discharged.
During the investigation, police seized six firearms, illicit drugs, cell phones, SIM cards and fraudulent identification cards.
Six individuals charged by Peel Regional Police could face immigration action after the completion of their criminal proceedings, authorities said. Separately, the Canada Border Services Agency arrested and detained six individuals on immigration-related inadmissibility grounds. Three individuals have since been removed from Canada, two remain in custody and one was released on conditions by the Immigration and Refugee Board.
“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,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said. “Extortion is not confined to one region but connected both nationally and internationally.”
Erin O’Gorman, president of the Canada Border Services Agency, said the agency had opened 446 immigration investigations tied to extortion-related activities as of May 7, 2026, and had enforced 55 removals.
“The Ontario Provincial Police is proud to stand with our partners as a member of the Extortion Task Force,” Chief Superintendent Karen Gonneau said. “These crimes are having a serious impact on communities across central and western Ontario.”
The investigation involved Peel Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are anticipated.
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