Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is calling on the province and the federal government for help as his city and the surrounding Peel region continue to struggle with a disturbing rise in extortion-related crimes.
Last week, Caledon resident, Ranbir Mand, shared with OMNI News the terrifying moment he awoke to the sounds of gunshots hitting his home.
“I have no clue what to do. I was so scared. My kids were scared,” said Mand.
The incident happened just weeks after criminals targeted his family restaurant in a separate shooting.
Mand believes he and his family have been targeted for extortion, showing OMNI News the many Whatsapp messages he’s received aimed at intimidating and threatening him.
“Three months ago, they were demanding $3 million ransom … they said, ‘Oh we know you guys have money and we know how to get it’.”
Mand’s case is one at least 436 extortion cases reported in Peel Region so far this year. The situation has become so dire, officials in Brampton are now calling on the provincial and federal governments for help.
Peel police say the 436 reports of extortion happened between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2025, a slight decrease from the 490 reports in 2024, but a sharp increase from 319 extortion reports in 2023. Another 481 armed robberies were reported.
Police acknowledged the rise of extortion-related incidents and “the significant impact these crimes have on our community, including South Asian residents and business owners.”
Brown has written letters to both levels of government, asking for targeted funding for victim services and a specialized task force, along with better intelligence sharing. The call for help was prompted by a motion from Deputy Mayor Harkirat Singh.
“My phone last month has been at its highest, at the highest amount of volume related to business extortions. Every day we’re hearing about new cases, and so I decided to speak out,” shared Singh.
Singh says in Peel Region alone the number of business-related extortion cases has risen dramatically, from just 50 in 2023 to 153 in 2024 and now up to 172 so far this year.
Per capita, he said, the rate of extortion cases sits significantly higher than any other jurisdiction in Canada.
Last month, Ottawa announced that British Columbia would be receiving more than $5 million in provincial and federal funding to combat organized crime and support extortion victims. Singh said it’s only fair that Peel Region see financial support as well.
“If we look at per capita ratio, we should technically have more than B.C. … we don’t want to see this trend continue next year and be having these conversations again,” shared Singh.
Premier Doug Ford’s office said it had yet to receive the letter, but the premier said this afternoon they are already working with the federal government on this issue.
“I know the RCMP has a task force along with the OPP, along with Peel,” said Ford. “We’re throwing every single resource we can to combat this.”
A statement from Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said they are taking action, convening a summit in Peel region in January with a goal to bring together governments and law enforcement to address extortion head-on.
“We will give serious consideration to the proposals Brampton Council is advancing,” read the statement. “As we saw in British Columbia, the best way to attack this crime is to bring all orders of government together to share ideas and pool resources. Municipalities, provinces and the federal government have a role to play.”
“The reason for us to go so public on this is the urgency, and so we hope they sense the urgency,” said Singh. “Hopefully, we get everybody to the table to make some important announcement in the next few days or weeks to come.”
In data shared with OMNI News, Peel police said as a part of multiple investigations targeting organized networks involved in extortion and violent crime, 465 charges have been laid and over $54.9 million was recovered in assets, including cash, property and illicit goods.
“We remain committed to leading the fight against organized criminal networks and extortionists to help keep our communities safe,” read Peel police’s statement to OMNI News.
