Toronto: As many as 17 Indian-origin youth have been arrested in connection to extortion-related violence in an operation undertaken by Canadian law enforcement along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States.
All 17 were arrested by Peel Regional Police (PRP), which said in a statement on Monday that the majority of the individuals “have ties to an international criminal network known as For Brothers”.
Led by the Extortion Task Force, the investigation dismantled a coordinated campaign of intimidation, threats, and escalating violence used to extort local businesses, the release stated. “They are believed to have been active in Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon, and British Columbia, with links to California,” it added.
Those arrested collectively face 106 criminal charges, and were linked to 24 incidents. PRP said 16 violent incidents were linked to For Borthers, including arson and multiple shootings that involved 324 rounds discharged.
A dozen of those arrested were residents of Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). They were identified as Iqbal Singh Bhagria, 25, Dilawarpreet Singh, 26, Prabhdeep Sohal, 22, Ajaydeep Singh, 29, Jashanpreet Singh, 22, Sukhwinder Singh, 32, Mandeep Singh, 21, Partapbir Ghuman, 22, Navroop Singh, 24, Amritjot Singh, 22, Guneet Guneet, 27 and Mohinder Singh, 30. Two residents of Surrey in British Columbia, Ravinder Singh, 25 and Jashanbir Singh, 21, were among those arrested. The others on the list are Rajan Singh, 28, of Barrie and Akashdeep Singh, 24, of Norval, both in Ontario, and Gautam Gautam, 22, of Manteca, California in the US.
The operation commenced in December 2025, and included PRP, the Ontario Provincial Police, along with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.
In April 2026, investigators executed a series of search warrants across multiple locations, resulting in the arrests.
Six of those charged by PRP may face immigration action, including possible removal from the country, after their criminal cases are finished. Separately, the CBSA arrested and detained six individuals for immigration-related inadmissibility. Of those, three individuals have been removed from Canada, two are in custody, and one has been released by the Immigration and Refugee Board on conditions.
During the investigation, police also seized six firearms, illicit drugs, multiple cell phones, SIM cards and fraudulent identification cards.
Commenting on the arrests on X, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “We’re partnering with law enforcement and following the money — tracing criminal networks and holding their members to account.”
“The investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are anticipated,” the release said.
“Our efforts include intelligence sharing, investigations, arrests, detentions and removal of inadmissible foreign nationals engaging in extortion-related activities. As of May 7, 2026, we have opened 446 immigration investigations, issued 118 removal orders for various inadmissibility grounds, and enforced 55 removals,” CBSA president Erin O’Gorman said.
PRP chief Nishan Duraiappah added, “We recognise the fear and harm this has caused, particularly within the South Asian community, and remain committed to put a stop to these crimes and keep our communities safe.”
He noted that extortion was not confined to one region but connected both nationally and internationally and addressing it required strong cross-border collaboration and intelligence-sharing among agencies.
