Authorities are currently looking into more than 45 instances of extortion that have targeted individuals in Caledon and Dufferin County within the past couple of years.
According to investigators, since 2023, individuals within the South-Asian community have been receiving threatening phone calls or text messages from perpetrators utilizing aggressive tactics to demand money while also making violent threats.
One of the victims, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared their experience with OMNI News, recounting how they and their family were threatened with violence and their property had been fired upon.
“I was petrified, and my children were terrified,” the victim said. “Just three months ago, they demanded $2 million in ransom. We pleaded with them to see for themselves that we barely have enough to get by, with mortgages and bills to pay.”
The victim suspects that the extortion activities are linked to the Lawrence Bishoi gang, designated as a terrorist group in Canada since the previous September.
Authorities have observed a pattern over the past two years, with multiple incidents involving firearms damaging properties in Caledon and Dufferin County. They believe these incidents are connected to the threatening communications and extortion schemes.
Individuals who receive threatening messages or calls are urged to report the incidents to law enforcement promptly.