17 Punjab-Origin Youth Held for Extortion, Violence in Canada

17 Punjab-Origin Youth Held: Peel Regional Police dismantle the For Brothers criminal network in Canada, arresting 17 men — majority of Punjabi heritage — on 106 charges including extortion, arson and shootings targeting South Asian businesses in Brampton and Mississauga.

North Desk Bureau

Chandigarh, May 27

A transnational criminal network that ran a coordinated campaign of extortion, shootings and arson targeting South Asian business owners across Canada has been dismantled by a joint law enforcement operation, with 17 youths – majority of Punjab heritage–arrested and 106 criminal charges filed.

The Peel Regional Police-led Extortion Task Force, operating alongside the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Canada’s financial intelligence unit FINTRAC, launched the Joint Forces Operation in December 2025. Arrests were executed in April 2026 following a series of search warrants.

The network, known as For Brothers, is alleged to have carried out 16 violent incidents — including multiple shootings involving 324 rounds discharged and several arsons — targeting businesses and residences in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon in Ontario, as well as British Columbia. The group also has links to California in the United States.

Several restaurants and trucking companies were among the businesses repeatedly targeted after refusing to comply with extortion demands. In one particularly brazen incident, investigators allege two of the accused carried out a shooting and arson at a residential address in Caledon, followed within minutes by a second shooting targeting a business in Brampton.

The Accused: 17 Punjab-Origin Youth Held

The 17 men arrested — the majority of Punjabi heritage — are based primarily in Brampton, Ontario, Canada’s most concentrated South Asian diaspora hub, with two from Surrey, British Columbia, and one from Manteca, California:

17 Punjab-Origin Youth Held: Iqbal Singh Bhagria, 25 (Brampton); Akashdeep Singh, 24 (Norval, ON); Ravinder Singh, 25 (Surrey, BC); Jashanbir Singh, 21 (Surrey, BC); Dilawarpreet Singh, 26 (Brampton); Mandeep Singh, 21 (Brampton); Prabhdeep Sohal, 22 (Brampton); Partapbir Ghuman, 22 (Brampton); Ajaydeep Singh, 29 (Brampton); Navroop Singh, 24 (Brampton); Rajan Singh, 28 (Barrie, ON); Amritjot Singh, 22 (Brampton); Jashanpreet Singh, 22 (Brampton); Guneet Guneet, 27 (Brampton); Sukhwinder Singh, 32 (Brampton); Mohinder Singh, 30 (Brampton); and Gautam Gautam, 22 (Manteca, California).

Charges

17 Punjab-Origin Youth Held: Among the most serious charges are reckless discharge of a firearm, extortion, arson, discharge of a firearm with intent, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Six of those charged by Peel Police may face immigration action, including possible removal from Canada after their criminal cases conclude. The CBSA separately arrested and detained six individuals for immigration-related inadmissibility — of whom three have already been removed from the country, two remain in CBSA custody, and one has been released on conditions by the Immigration and Refugee Board.

During searches, investigators seized six firearms, illicit drugs, multiple cell phones, SIM cards and fraudulent identification cards.

North Desk is awaiting response from Peel Regional Police on North Desk’s queries seeking further details regarding the nationality and background of the accused. The story will be updated after the response is received.

The investigation remains ongoing and further arrests are anticipated.  

Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Peel Regional Police, said: “These arrests reflect the coordinated efforts of Peel Regional Police and our law enforcement partners across jurisdictions to disrupt these networks and hold those responsible accountable. Extortion is not confined to one region but connected both nationally and internationally. Addressing it requires strong cross-border collaboration and intelligence-sharing among agencies. We recognize the fear and harm this has caused, particularly within the South Asian community, and remain committed to put a stop to these crimes and keep our communities safe.”

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