Towing industry scam: 18 people, mostly Indian-origin suspects, arrested in Canada

Sharing details, Peel Regional Police said in July 2024, Project Outsource was launched to investigate a criminal organisation 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.

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.

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 other arrested individuals were identified as Inderjit Dhami, 38; Paritosh Chopra, 32; Gurbinder Singh, 28; Kulwinder Puri, 25; Parminder Puri, 31; Inderjit Bal, 29; Varun Aul, 31; Ketan Chopra, 30; Norman Tazehkand, 32; Pawandeep Singh, 25; Dipanshu Garg, 24; Rahul Verma, 27; Karan Boparai, 26; Mankirat Boparai, 22; Simar Boparai, 21; Jovan Singh, 23; and Abhinav Bhardwaj, 25.