Foreign Gun Squads Rock Toronto Suburbs: 17 Arrests in Peel Expose Canada's Diaspora Extortion Pipeline, From Student Visas to Shootings-for-Hire

Police in Peel Region, which includes the Toronto suburbs of Mississauga and Brampton, have arrested 17 individuals in connection with an extortion network that targeted members of the Indian diaspora. Authorities said the operation involved a pipeline that began with student visa recruitment and escalated to shootings-for-hire.

The investigation, dubbed Project Bombay, uncovered a scheme where individuals were recruited from India on student visas and then coerced into carrying out extortion and violent acts in Canada. Victims, primarily business owners in the South Asian community, were threatened with harm to themselves or family members in India if they did not pay large sums.

Police said the network used a combination of intimidation tactics, including drive-by shootings at homes and businesses, to enforce payment. Over the course of the investigation, officers seized multiple firearms, vehicles, and cash. The arrests span several cities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Authorities noted that the extortion rings have been a growing concern in the region, with dozens of incidents reported over the past year. The arrests are part of a broader effort to dismantle transnational criminal networks that exploit immigration pathways and target diaspora communities.

The 17 suspects face a range of charges, including extortion, conspiracy to commit an indictable offense, and firearms offenses. Police said the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected.