Barrie, Ont., man among 17 charged in Peel police extortion crackdown

A Peel Regional Police logo is pictured. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

A Barrie, Ont., man has been tied to a series of extortion-related incidents that police say primarily targeted members of the South-Asian business community.

The 28-year-old is one of 17 suspects that have been arrested following a major extortion task force investigation led by Peel Regional Police.

A total of 106 charges have been laid after months of officers looking into a series of incidents across Caledon, Brampton and Mississauga.

• Criminal network behind Peel extortion attempts responsible for half of shots fired in region this year: police

A news conference was held on Monday, where Chief Nishan Duraiappah mentioned that “the violence was not random,” adding that “they were specifically targeted and escalated over time.”

Six of the 17 charged may face immigration action, Duraiappah said.

At this time, six other suspects were detained by the Canadian Border Services Agency, with some already removed from Canada.

Investigators say the work of the extortion task force is ongoing.