Â鶹´«Ã½

Canada

    • 'We are everywhere,' claim alleged gunmen behind violent extortion attempts across Canada

    Share

    South Asian business owners are going to extraordinary lengths to protect themselves and their families following a wave of violent extortion attempts across the county, including wearing bulletproof vests each time they leave their homes.

    West of Toronto in Peel Region, police say there have been 29 extortion attempts reported by members of the South Asian community. Usually they received a call, a WhatsApp message or a voice note demanding they hand over $1 million. Many of those who refused to comply have had armed gunmen open fire on their homes or businesses.

    This week, Peel police announced that they had arrested five individuals who are allegedly connected to just some of the reported extortion attempts. Speaking during a packed press conference this week, Peel's chief of police acknowledged this is a national and international issue.

    "There are similar trends that we've been seeing in Alberta and as well as lower mainland British Columbia, as well as in certain locations in the U.S.," Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.

    CTV National News spoke with one South Asian business owner, who asked we hide his identity. For the purpose of our story we're calling him Eric.

    Eric first received an extortion request in December. After he declined to pay, he became the target of gunmen on multiple occasions.

    He arrived to our interview wearing a bulletproof jacket. As Eric lifted his sweater to show us, he shared that he doesn't leave his house without it. "For my peace of mind, for my family, I have to take some measures for my safety," he said.

    When asked if he ever thought he'd have to leave his home wearing a bulletproof vest, Eric says, "Never. Canada is a country where people come seeking peace, where people are coming for a better life for their safety. I think it's going in the opposite direction."

    Violent videos of homes and businesses being shot at in the middle of the night are being recorded by the same people pulling the trigger. They then claim responsibility and share the attack on social media pages linked to known gangsters in India.

    Â鶹´«Ã½ sat down with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and asked if he believes organized crime is behind these targeted extortion attempts on South Asian businesses.

    "Absolutely, these investigations have led police in Ontario, in B.C., and now in Alberta, to determine that these organizations reside in India, outside of Canadian borders," he replied swiftly.

    Individuals, who claim to be behind some of the extortion attempts that have led to shootings at homes and businesses, reached out to Â鶹´«Ã½, saying they were open to a phone interview to share a message.

    During the phone interview, they claimed that they're "operating across Canada, Edmonton, Surrey, B.C., Nova Scotia, (and) even in Europe. We are everywhere," further sharing with CTV that they've been involved in "35 or 40" hits on houses and businesses across Canada.

    They say they're working in connection with two organized crime leaders, one based out of Pakistan and one who resides in India.

    The individuals who spoke to CTV say they've posted two shooting videos on a social media page under the name Rinda Sandu. Sandu is an organized crime figure in India and Pakistan who allegedly died of a drug overdose in a hospital in Lahore, though other media reports suggest he's still alive.

    The individuals who spoke to Â鶹´«Ã½ on the phone say they're working with Sandu, and their extortion attempts in Canada have led to them collecting $1.5 million.

    They also allege that they worked with three of the five people recently arrested by Peel police, claiming that the three they worked with, who have currently been charged, aren't even the people behind the shootings. They say the three individuals charged did "IT work and hacking."

    The individuals on the phone repeatedly told Â鶹´«Ã½ that they only target rich businessmen in the South Asian community who are involved in illegal activity of their own.

    They told Â鶹´«Ã½, "These trucking companies, these car dealerships, they're doing illegal things you don't know about, but we do."

    The unnamed spokesperson on the other end of the line then told us to send these South Asian businesses a message: "We're going to come for you."

    Peel police say they're working with the RCMP and have open lines of communication with authorities in India. Though Eric, the South Asian business owner CTV spoke with, says more support is needed from all levels of government and the police services.

    "We are crying, my family is struggling, my employees, every associate. We need help," says Eric, who continues to say, "If you (the government and police) cannot protect us, let us know, we can pay protection money so we can go enjoy our life." 

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.

    The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.

    Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    Church of England head Justin Welby resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal

    Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.

    • A multi-vehicle crash along Highway 1 in Burnaby partially shut down traffic Tuesday morning.

    • Flames shot out of windows and debris came showering down onto the street as crews battled a fire at a North Vancouver highrise Monday afternoon.

    • Second World War veteran Percival Smith was a teenager when he entered the British Merchant Navy, but after years at sea he emerged as a man who returned to a family he "couldn't even recognize" after the war.

    • As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.

    • Police say multiple people were arrested and firearms were seized after an unmarked police cruiser was struck by gunfire in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood late Monday night.

    • Two women were randomly attacked on GO trains Monday night and police say they are searching for a suspect in the 'unprovoked' assaults.

    • The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.

    • A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes "to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure," increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

    • A 36-year-old Montreal man who was out on bail after allegedly uttering death threats against his partner is now accused of murdering her on the South Shore.

    • Several international flights scheduled to land at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport had to be diverted due to the discovery of a 'package of interest.'

    • Nova Scotia's political party leaders will return to the election campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

    • New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday in Fredericton.

    • A weeklong closure of Portage Avenue East is set to begin Tuesday to allow for pre-construction traffic signal work at Portage and Main.

    • A sacred fire burning in Winnipeg has brought healing and hope to some members of Xavia Skye Lynn Butler’s family.

    • A team of tornado experts are investigating a path of damage through Wellington County.

    • A 15-year-old boy from Kitchener, Ont. is facing a long list of criminal charges as the Waterloo Regional Police Service wraps up a lengthy swatting investigation.

    • Family members and friends of a 43-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Hamilton over the weekend says they’re devastated by his death and are seeking answers and justice for their loved one.

    • Jelly Roll is coming to Saskatoon.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers will be on strike Tuesday as part of ongoing contract negotiations with SPL.

    • A look at some of the ways Saskatoon residents paid their respects on Remembrance Day.

    • Dozens of 'Justice for Kaylie' supporters rally during the first court hearing for the northern Ontario man accused in vicious attack on his ex-girlfriend.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    • Failing to comply with a property standards order issued by city hall could add almost $100,000 to the tax bill of a prominent eyesore in east London.

    • Changes proposed to the city’s Special Events By-law would allow outdoor concerts and music festivals to play later – but not louder.

    • A Barrie man is accused of being at the centre of an alleged $2.2 million stolen used car scheme.

    • Fire crews were called to an early-morning fire at recycling depot on John Street.

    • Hydro One says about 1,200 customers are without power in the Muskoka region.

    • Essex County OPP officers in Tecumseh and Leamington have charged two people with impaired driving following separate collisions.

    • Police in Chatham-Kent are hoping the public can help identify some people caught on surveillance following the theft of a vehicle. Around 5:05 p.m. on Nov. 5, police were called to a report of a stolen vehicle in Thamesville.

    • Rumors began spreading this morning that the school’s annual Winter Walkthrough in December was being postponed until January.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • A B.C. teen has a suspected case of H5N1 avian flu — the first known human to acquire the virus in Canada.

    • A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • If you were at the cenotaph Remembrance Day ceremonies in Lethbridge, you may have caught a glimpse of our Dory Rossiter there on crutches.

    • Canadians across the country spent Monday paying tribute to the soldiers who have fought and died while serving Canada.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year’s host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • Dozens of 'Justice for Kaylie' supporters rally during the first court hearing for the northern Ontario man accused in vicious attack on his ex-girlfriend.

    • Remembrance Day celebrations took place across the country Monday, with Canadians reflecting on the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country.

    • Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was among approximately 120 people who gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil near the scene of a vicious attack against a 16-year-old in Cobalt.

    N.L.

    Local Spotlight

    A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.

    Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.

    For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.

    • A Vancouver designer is making waves in the architectural world with an outdoor modular building created to address the city’s unrelenting housing crisis.

    Sports

    • The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward Max Pacioretty on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday.

    • Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies for its upcoming CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

    Autos

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½