A King City woman, 37-year-old Haleh Javady Torabi, is among 18 suspects arrested in a sweeping investigation targeting an organized criminal network tied to the towing industry.
Peel Regional Police announced the arrests following an 11-month probe called Project Outsource. Alongside Torabi, 17 men from Brampton face charges related to extortion, staged vehicle collision insurance fraud, and violence.
The accused face a total of 97 criminal charges, including those for criminal organization involvement, extortion, fraud, and firearms offenses.
Nearly half of the suspects were on judicial release when arrested. Three were charged and released with court dates scheduled, while 15 were held for bail hearings at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.
Project Outsource, launched in July 2024, uncovered a two-part criminal network: one deeply rooted in the towing industry, connected to companies like Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside, and another focused on extortion and violent enforcement. Members allegedly used threats, assaults, and firearms to dominate towing operations.
Police seized over $4.2 million in assets, 18 tow trucks, five stolen vehicles, six firearms, and 586 rounds of ammunition. These seizures followed the execution of 67 search warrants across Peel Region, Caledon, York Region, and Toronto on June 10.
The investigation was a coordinated effort involving Peel Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Halton Regional Police, York Regional Police, and Toronto Police Service.
York Regional Police Superintendent Sony Dosanjh emphasized the importance of collaboration in combating violence and exploitation, calling Project Outsource a model of joint agency success in restoring community safety and trust.
The rise in violent extortion attempts targeting South Asian business owners in Peel Region over recent years prompted the formation of the Extortion Investigation Task Force in December 2023.
