Read on Twitter
#BREAKING: York Regional Police has made 20 arrests, over a hundred charges following a months-long investigation into the GTA's towing industry, including murder, assaults, arson and intimidation. /1
The investigation, dubbed “Project Platinum,” has identified several organized crime groups working within the towing industry using violence and property damage to gain control and territory within the industry. /2 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/26/major-announcement-expected-in-tow-truck-turf-war-investigation-police-say.html
Police say some of the groups have worked to defraud insurance companies. One law firm, recruited to help an insurance company pursue legal action, became the target of violence, threats and extortion. /3 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/26/major-announcement-expected-in-tow-truck-turf-war-investigation-police-say.html
Search warrants have been launched across southern Ontario, resulting in seizures of firearms (machine guns, rifles, etc.), a range of narcotics, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. /4 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/26/major-announcement-expected-in-tow-truck-turf-war-investigation-police-say.html
The towing industry in southern Ontario has long been plagued by turf wars and violence. Last June, police arrested and charged more than 70 people with offences, including attempted murder and robbery. /5 https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2019/06/27/significant-blow-dealt-to-dangerous-street-gang-toronto-police-chief-says-after-massive-raids.html
Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, violence within the towing industry has persisted. Earlier this month, police were investigating the role of the turf war in the killing of a 23-year-old man in Etobicoke. /6 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/15/police-investigating-role-of-tow-truck-turf-war-after-23-year-old-man-shot-dead-in-etobicoke.html
In January, a tow truck was set ablaze in Aurora, prompting police to investigate a wave of arson among tow truck companies. /7 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/01/28/tow-truck-set-ablaze-in-aurora-the-latest-in-ongoing-violence-in-gta-towing-industry.html
In total, police believe at least 30 tow trucks have been burned and four people have been killed in the last three years as a result of the turf wars. /END https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/05/26/major-announcement-expected-in-tow-truck-turf-war-investigation-police-say.html
