York Regional Police will hold a press conference later this morning to announce charges against multiple Toronto Police Service officers in connection with organized crime networks that have turned the region’s towing industry into a violent battleground, with youthful gunmen discharging firearms in public spaces and nearly 15 percent of all Toronto shootings now linked to the tow truck wars.
Citing police sources, CBC has reported that nine Toronto police officers have been arrested and charged in connection with what York Regional Police are calling “a lengthy investigation into organized crime and corruption,” dubbed Project South.
The arrests represent the latest chapter in law enforcement’s ongoing battle against organized criminal networks—from Ottawa to Toronto—that have infiltrated the lucrative ecosystem surrounding vehicle collisions, from insurance claims to towing contracts.
Any bets on release of names of those charged today? Update: Those who voted “yes” win.
Ask Grok: Which immigrant communities are most closely associated with these crime groups?
The tow-truck crime groups in the GTA are multi-ethnic and opportunistic, not monopolized by any single immigrant community. They draw participants from various backgrounds, reflecting the region’s diversity, with violence often involving hired enforcers from street gangs alongside operators from immigrant-owned towing businesses.
Prominent in Recent “The Union” Network (Project Yankee, 2025) This group, dismantled with 20 arrests and 111 charges (including dozens of conspiracy-to-murder counts), had many suspects with Tamil/South Asian names (e.g., Gokilan Balamurale, Brannan Balasegar, Jensikumar Joseph, Mauran Balasivam, Nirrosan Raviraj, Anush Sathiyakumar, Arussan Ravikumar). Others included Middle Eastern/Arabic (El-Taii brothers, Ahmad Faqiri, Talha Thanvi, Ali Yakobi), Persian/Iranian (Farhad Zoghi-Lahmi), and Armenian (Sergei Manukian, Alex Yizhak) origins.
The violence, including the March 2025 Piper Arms pub mass shooting (linked to towing rivals), sent shockwaves through GTA Tamil communities, with warnings circulated about Tamil-owned businesses tied to the industry. Much of the turf war has played out in Scarborough and Durham—areas with large Sri Lankan Tamil populations who arrived as refugees in the 1980s–2000s.
Separate Peel Region Networks (e.g., Project Outsource, 2025)These involved extortion, staged accidents, and violence primarily within and against the South Asian community (often Punjabi, broader South Asian business owners in Brampton/Mississauga). Almost all suspects and victims were South Asian; police explicitly noted targeting of South Asian businesses.
Broader/Historical Context Older incidents and smaller networks have included:
Italian organized-crime ties (e.g., Commisso family connections in some past cases)
Russian/Ukrainian (e.g., slain operator Alexander Vinogradsky)
Eastern European/Armenian
Turkish
Mixed European backgroundsSome shooters/enforcers in related incidents have been young Black/Caribbean (often Jamaican) men, functioning more as hired muscle than core operators.
Like the recent case in London with the bomb making materials found in a residential area, the names and indenty of the perps was not released for about a week after the arrest.
The tell is that if it its a white male over the age of 18 the names get released the minute the news breaks of an arrest.
The names have yet to be released so
I think I read somewhere that this is the Colin O’Brien gang fighting the Jets gang from West Side Story.
I read somewhere that they weren’t malicious, they were simply idiots. They were working on a startup making drone killers. They put out some youtube videos months ago looking for investors.
It used to be WOP’s and bikers that ran the towing industry, they used it to run their DRUG business.
Yes, and the OPP ran them out of business, resulting in the current unpleasantness
Man, talk about “Star Wars names”. Good grief!
Philly also has its own notoriously corrupt tow truck driver issues (from yesterday):
“Man Sought For 2 Deadly Tow Truck Driver Shootings In Philadelphia”
Philly Police said Najee Williams is considered armed and dangerous and is responsible for the shooting deaths of two tow truck drivers.
FILTHY LIBERALS
We need more Indians here to do the crime that Canadians won’t do.
Tow Truck Wars – Surely I’m not the only one who thinks this would make a very watchable reality TV show. Instead of the inane, self imposed deadlines they always put on themselves we’ll get…
“I need to get this car hooked up and out of here before I get my ass shot off…”
Yesterday’s media post with “Tim Barnhardt” being named was unexpected…
The only white guy involved?
I don’t know the other’s colors (or genders! it is Toronto after all…)
It appears to be 7 people who look like the guys I went to school with.
Const. Timothy Barnhardt, 56 — 17 charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to commit public mischief, and numerous drug trafficking charges.
Sgt. Robert Black, 42 — four charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine).
Retired constable, John Madeley Sr., 55 — 11 charges, including breach of trust by public officer and possession of prohibited weapon.
Const. John Madeley Jr., 29 — two charges: breach of trust by public officer and unauthorized use of computer.
Sgt. Carl Grellette, 49 — four charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and breach of trust by public officer.
Const. Saurabjit Bedi, 38 — six charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to traffic in substance.
Const. Derek McCormick, 57 — six charges, including obstruction of justice and multiple counts of theft under $5,000.
Const. Elias Mouawad, 24 — two charges: breach of trust by public officer and unauthorized use of computer.
crooked cops, color me shocked
All cops are liars.
I was watching part of the news release. The police spokesman didn’t come out and say it but it looks like a hit was put out on a whistleblower who was going to name names on police corruption and links to organized crime. The whistleblower is also some type of officer who was under police protection. A corrupt fellow officer gave out his location to organized crime associates.
So a civil war between corrupt Toronto police officers with ties to organized crime and Toronto police who are investigating the crimes. Will be interested in seeing how far up the chain organized crime has infiltrated. Probably not just about tow trucks but stolen vehicles, drug trafficking and more. Wouldn’t be surprised if other parts of the justice system are also infiltrated considering the lack of investigations, easy bail, light sentencing and cases routinely being dropped/thrown out.
Now consider this. If police forces are so easily compromised, what about the application of law enforcement at Canadian docks and rail lines? They privatized a while back, and police are only present on a scheduled ride by or a specific request. Security and enforcement falls to private security firms hired by the Docks. You’d have to believe that compromising a private entity is much easier than an officer of the law.
So, when you wonder why car theft is so high in Canada (specifically the urban and suburban areas of Toronto and Montreal), and how it seems so easy for these thieves to transport vehicles overseas, keep that in mind.
The roster of names of security personnel at major docks in Canada probably would be interesting to acquire. I can guess at the common ones that show up.
I assume Canadian sea ports, land borders, airports and trucking industry are cesspools of organized crime. Possibly rail transport too.
They are. That’s how so much illicit stuff gets into Canada, like precursors for fentanyl. That’s also how a lot of drugs and stolen cars leave.
CP & CN have their own police services, but there aren’t a lot of them
I know one of the charged. In the late 90’s he was doing crooked stuff. It is a lot more widespread just from the stories I’ve heard. All it would take is just surprise visits to their homes and the ones that were obviously living beyond their reported means be investigated.