At least seven Toronto police officers were arrested yesterday as part of a wide-ranging investigation into drug trafficking and car theft, a case that could become one of the largest police corruption scandals in Canadian history.
According to the Globe and Mail quoting a federal source, around thirty people in total were arrested.
Another daily source indicated that “at least seven Toronto police officers” were among the suspects who were handcuffed. Police officers from other police forces were also arrested, according to the Toronto Sun.
According to CBC News, this wave of arrests could be linked to crime and violence linked to the tow truck industry.
According to several sources at the state corporation, the agents are currently accused of drug trafficking, disclosing addresses to hitmen and disclosing the addresses of police officers.
According to the Toronto Sunthey would also be accused of extortion and conspiracy to commit murder.
Also according to CBC News, towing violence has been a major problem in Toronto. In 2024, there were 63 incidents of shooting and discharging firearms related to tow truck disputes, accounting for nearly 13% of all incidents that year.
Furthermore, the CP24 news channel reportedly learned that among the agents charged, four were suspended without pay. They worked in Divisions 11 and 12, as well as an officer in the guns and gangs unit.
Press briefing
In a press release published Wednesday evening, and consulted by The Journalthe York Regional Police Service said it will “announce the results of ‘Project South,’ a long-running investigation into organized crime and corruption” on Thursday at a 10 a.m. news conference.
The number of people targeted by prosecution could, however, increase, indicate several media outlets.
In June 2020, CBC News reported that Toronto police had laid charges against a Toronto police officer who allegedly participated in a plot to provide encrypted police radios to tow truck drivers. The accused officer faced charges of fraud and trafficking in property obtained by criminal means. He was also accused of breach of trust and fraud of more than $5,000. Along with him, 11 people faced more than 50 charges following the investigation, which began in August 2019.
A few weeks later, in July 2020, five Toronto police officers were suspended with pay while an internal investigation was conducted for their possible links to corruption in the towing industry.
