(Video) Barrie man among 17 charged in extortion investigation related to South Asian businesses in Peel Region

Police say 17 suspects have been arrested after an investigation into a string of violent extortion incidents that predominantly targeted South Asian businesses in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga.

Peel regional police say a joint operation involving provincial, federal and U.S. authorities began last December.

They say several businesses, including restaurants and trucking companies, were repeatedly targeted after refusing to comply with extortion demands.

Police say that in one incident, two people carried out a shooting and arson at a home in Caledon, followed minutes later by a second shooting targeting a business in Brampton.

Investigators say the 17 suspects have been linked to 24 incidents in all, including 16 that are tied to For Brothers, an international criminal network that targets South Asian business owners and community members in Canada and the United States. 

The group faces 106 charges in total.

The 28-year-old accused from Barrie has been charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded prohibited firearm, knowledge of an unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device or ammunition, and careless storage of a firearm.

Police say six individuals charged in the investigation may face immigration action, including possible removal from the country, after their criminal cases are finished.

They say the CBSA has separately arrested and detained six individuals for immigration-related inadmissibility. 

Police say three of those detained by the CBSA have been removed, two are in the agency's custody, and one has been released by the Immigration and Refugee Board on conditions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2026.

with files from Barrie 360