Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich (CPAC video).

Extortionists are broadening their scope and are now targeting groups other than the South Asian community in their demands for money.

That is the message from Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, who said the crime wave is expanding.

“There are absolutely other communities,” said Milinovich at a press conference today (Feb. 19). He was responding to a question about whether members of the South Asian community were the only victims.

Milinovich said in 2025, 470 incidents of extortion in Brampton and Mississauga were reported to Peel Police; of those reported, 190 were from businesses. Twenty-nine of the instances involved shootings or arson. He went on to say that of the 190, the majority are part of the South Asian business community.

(While Caledon is part of the Peel Region, residents there fall under the jurisdiction of the OPP, not Peel Police).

“But there are other elements of the community, and that is one of our concerns,” he continued. “Of course, we don’t want anybody victimized or targeted, but we are starting to see an expansion.”

Milinovich did not elaborate on where the criminal activity is headed, but added that extortion is now one of the most serious threats to public safety, not only in Peel Region, but across the country.

“This is not just a Peel issue; this is a national issue,” he said. ” Families are being targeted. “This crime occurs as a result of fear that is created in the community, and the motivation is about money.”

The deputy acknowledged that many of the shooting incidents in Peel have been captured on film and have been widely shared on social media, which has fueled the alarm in the community.

“It represents hundreds of people who are living in fear and forced to live with the experiences that they had,” he said.

Milinovich assured that Peel Police are at the forefront of pushing back against the extortion crime wave and that the department has launched “an all-out offensive” by going after the offenders.

“We are not just doing what you expect a police department to do in terms of enforcement,” he said. “We’re making sure our community feels safe, and working to prevent these offenses.”

He said 40 full-time investigators are “working around the clock” to investigate extortion crimes.

The FINTRAC program, as announced by federal Minister François-Philippe Champagne today is an important tool to combat crime, but Milinovich promised police agencies across Canada will continue to push for other reforms such as the ability to quickly and lawfully obtain information that is essential to carry out investigations, and to lobby for stiffer penalties against criminals that includes bail reform to keep those arrested and charged behind bars.

 


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