Project Outsource: Peel Police Seize Millions from Criminal Network Tied to Towing

Region of Peel – Peel Regional Police, as part of a Joint Force Operation with local and provincial law enforcement partners, have recovered more than $4.2 million in assets following the dismantling of an organized criminal network linked to the towing industry.

In July 2024, Project Outsource was launched to investigate a criminal organization believed to be behind a significant number of extortion incidents and related acts of violence. As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the criminal network operated with two distinct, but interconnected components: one dedicated to extortion and violence, and the other rooted in the towing industry.

Several suspects were found to be associated with towing companies operating under the names Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside. Investigators uncovered evidence that these individuals were engaged in insurance fraud by staging vehicle collisions, and using threats, assaults, and firearms to exert control over local towing operations.

As of June 10, 2025, Haleh Javady Torabi, a 37-year-old woman from King City, and the following 17 men from Brampton have been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation:

The accused face a total of 97 criminal charges related to criminal organization, extortion, fraud, firearms, and more.

Three individuals were charged and released to attend court at a later date, while 15 were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. Of the 18, almost half were on a form of judicial release at the time of arrest.

Over the course of the investigation, the following assets were seized:

• 18 tow trucks, with a total value $2.8M
• Four personal vehicles, with a total value of $840K
• Five stolen vehicles recovered, with a total value $571K
• Six firearms
• 586 rounds of ammunition
• Two bulletproof vests
• Various weapons, including cross bow, taser, baseball bats

Project Outsource was a Joint Forces Operation with Peel Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Halton Regional Police, York Regional Police, and Toronto Police Service. The successful completion of this investigation was made possible through funding from the Government of Ontario, Ministry of the Solicitor General, in which the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario supported this Joint Forces investigation.

In recent years, Peel Region has experienced a sharp rise in violent extortion attempts targeting South Asian business owners, including demands for large sums of money, threats for non-payment, and acts of violence, including drive-by shootings. In response to these incidents, Peel Regional Police established the Extortion Investigation Task Force in December 2023.