Investigation into towing industry turf war in GTA results in arrests and hundreds of charges

Police believe four murders and dozens of arsons are linked to the dispute

Police have busted open a turf war for control of the towing industry in the Greater Toronto Area with the arrest of 20 people in what investigators said was a string of “murders, attempted murders, assaults and arson.”

The investigation, dubbed Project Platinum, began in February. Police identified “several organized crime groups” they say worked with the towing industry to inflate costs and, in at least 10 cases, “deliberately causing collisions” to increase profits.

During the probe, police identified more than 150 acts of violence the groups are believed to be responsible for, though they say many offences likely went unreported, meaning the real number may be even higher. They said the groups netted millions of dollars in illicit profits but as the money increased so did the “demand for territory and with that the need to control that territory through violence.”

“We allege that the competition for control of the tow market has resulted in murders, attempted murders, shootings, assaults, arsons, threats and property damage,” Superintendent Mike Slack said in a video announcing the arrests.

Slack said that police believe the tow truck companies collaborated with auto repair shops, physiotherapy clinics and car and truck rental companies to “grossly inflate” bills with each group getting a cut of the proceeds.

A law firm in Vaughan hired by insurance companies to fight the fraud, according to police, became the target of violence, threats and extortion.

As a result of the investigation, police have laid hundreds of charges, including two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a tow truck driver outside his Richmond Hill home in December 2018, as well as charges of attempt to commit murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to an incident at the offices of the law firm in Vaughan.

Police said charges were also laid in connection with the orchestration of an arson on March 29 that resulted in the burning of three large transport trucks at a vehicle storage yard in Vaughan.

Investigators said four distinct criminal organizations are being dismantled as a result of the arrests and more to come.

Some of the charges announced on Tuesday were laid in March but many were laid May 20 after police executed search warrants at 21 locations in Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Hamilton, Oakville, Toronto, Aurora and East Gwillimbury.

During the execution of those search warrants police seized a large cache of weapons, including 16 handguns, 13 shotguns, nine rifles, one machine gun, one air pistol converted to a .22 calibre pistol, one sawed-off shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

They also seized five kilograms of fentanyl, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 1.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 1.5 kilograms of cannabis and more than $500,000 in cash.

Evidence seized in the search warrants include:

  • 11 tow trucks
  • Firearms: 16 handguns, 13 shotguns, nine rifles, one machine gun, one air pistol converted to .22 calibre pistol, one sawed-off shotgun and three high-capacity drum magazines
  • Ammunition: Thousands of rounds of various calibres
  • Weapons: Two conductive energy weapons, brass knuckles
  • Drugs: Five kilograms of fentanyl, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 1.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 1.5 kilograms of cannabis
  • Currency: More than $500,000
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