- 18 arrests with a total of 97 criminal charges
- Of the 18, almost half were on a form of judicial release at the time of arrest
- Six firearms seized, along with 586 rounds of ammunition
- More than $4.2M in assets seized
ONTARIO’S Peel Regional Police, as part of a Joint Force Operation with local and provincial law enforcement partners, have recovered more than $4.2 million in assets following the dismantling of an organized criminal network linked to the towing industry.
One woman from King City and 17 men from Brampton — 16 of whom are South Asians — have been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation.
In July 2024, Project Outsource was launched to investigate a criminal organization believed to be behind a significant number of extortion incidents and related acts of violence. As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the criminal network operated with two distinct, but interconnected components: one dedicated to extortion and violence, and the other rooted in the towing industry, Peel Regional Police said.
Several suspects were found to be associated with towing companies operating under the names Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside. Investigators uncovered evidence that these individuals were engaged in insurance fraud by staging vehicle collisions, and using threats, assaults, and firearms to exert control over local towing operations.
As of June 10, Haleh Javady Torabi, a 37-year-old woman from King City, and the following 17 men from Brampton have been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation:
| Inderjit Dhami, 38 | Paritosh Chopra, 32 |
| Gurbinder Singh, 28 | Kulwinder Puri, 25 |
| Parminder Puri, 31 | Inderjit Bal, 29 |
| Varun Aul, 31 | Ketan Chopra, 30 |
| Norman Tazehkand, 32 | Pawandeep Singh, 25 |
| Dipanshu Garg, 24 | Rahul Verma, 27 |
| Karan Boparai, 26 | Mankirat Boparai, 22 |
| Simar Boparai, 21 | Jovan Singh, 23 |
| Abhinav Bhardwaj, 25 |
The accused face a total of 97 criminal charges related to criminal organization, extortion, fraud, firearms, and more.
Three individuals were charged and released to attend court at a later date, while 15 were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. Of the 18, almost half were on a form of judicial release at the time of arrest.
Over the course of the investigation, the following assets were seized:
- 18 tow trucks, with a total value $2.8M
- Four personal vehicles, with a total value of $840K
- Five stolen vehicles recovered, with a total value $571K
- Six firearms
- 586 rounds of ammunition
- Two bulletproof vests
- Various weapons, including cross bow, taser, baseball bats
Project Outsource was a Joint Forces Operation with Peel Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Halton Regional Police, York Regional Police, and Toronto Police Service. The successful completion of this investigation was made possible through funding from the Government of Ontario, Ministry of the Solicitor General, in which the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario supported this Joint Forces investigation.
In recent years, Peel Region has experienced a sharp rise in violent extortion attempts targeting South Asian business owners, including demands for large sums of money, threats for non-payment, and acts of violence, including drive-by shootings. In response to these incidents, Peel Regional Police established the Extortion Investigation Task Force in December 2023.
“This investigation has delivered a significant blow to a well-organized criminal network that has been spreading fear and violence in our communities. These individuals and their actions have no place here, and they will be held fully accountable. Alarmingly, nearly half of those arrested were already on some form of judicial release at the time — once again raising serious concerns about repeat offenders and the urgent need for bail reform. I want to thank our Joint Force Operation partners and the Government of Ontario for their continued support. Together, we are building safer, stronger communities,” said Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Peel Regional Police.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation or has been a victim of similar acts of extortion is asked to contact Peel Regional Police at (905) 453-3131. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting www.peelcrimestoppers.ca.
