The high-profile, months-long police investigation to end the violence in the tow truck industry in the Greater Toronto Area has partially collapsed, leaving six people charged with more than 70 crimes. of fire, drugs and firearms with their charges. .
Called Project Platinum, the operation, led by the York Regional Police, targeted people who investigators claimed were involved in a deadly battle for control of the GTA towing industry. According to police, the fights resulted in at least four murders, assaults, shootings and the burning of at least 30 tow trucks.
In May 2020, YRP announced 19 arrests as part of the joint forces investigation in collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police and the Canada Tax Agency.
But earlier this month, Crown prosecutors dropped the charges against six people who were being tried as a group.
“The Crown surprised everyone”
Police had accused the six people of being part of a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, possession of weapons, arson and planning a murder.
Criminal lawyer Jag Virk, who represented one of the defendants, told CBC News that the Crown had previously dropped several firearms offenses against his client. He said Crown attorneys suspended all remaining charges against the six defendants two weeks ago in the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket.
“The Crown surprised everyone because we were in the middle of pre-trial motions,” Virk said.
“[My client] he was ecstatic. He was shocked. He was under strict house arrest and will finally be released after two years is a burden on his shoulders. “
TARGET | Police reveal links between organized crime and the towing industry:
Police reveal links between organized crime and the towing industry
Toronto area police have lifted the curtain on organized crime in the tow truck industry. They have arrested 20 people, confiscated hard drugs and a number of weapons, but the real money appears to have been in expensive insurance fraud.
Virk said the charges were suspended after the judge ordered the Crown to disclose information about a wiretapping order that was drafted in an earlier version provided to the defense. The Crown took the position that doing so would reveal the identity of an informant, Virk said, and chose to suspend the charges instead of disclosing that information.
A YRP spokesman said the operation still had the effect of reducing crime and violence within the industry by dismantling a large criminal organization.
“Successful pursuit is not the only measure by which we achieve our community security goals,” Const said. Laura Nicolle wrote in an email.
“We are proud that Project Platinum stopped the significant street-level violence that was affecting our community during the months leading up to the arrests … These efforts resulted in a substantial decrease in industry-related violence. tow trucks “.
Nicolle added that the police force is pleased with the regulatory changes introduced by the Ontario government last year in response to violence in the tow truck industry, including a pilot project that introduces restricted towing areas on roads and a joint team to tackle road violence and fraud. the industry.
Second high-profile case that falls apart
The collapse of the case against the six people is the second time in a year that a high-profile investigation led by York Regional Police has been disbanded.
Last February, one of the largest police investigations into organized crime in Ontario’s history collapsed after police allegedly illegally intercepted phone calls as part of a multimillion-dollar investigation into alleged mafia activities in the Greater Toronto Area.
Investigators from the York Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Toronto Police Service and the Canada Tax Agency launched a joint forces investigation called Project Platinum in February 2020 in response to assassination attempts. ‘Assassination, assaults, fires, threats and property damage in the region. (York Regional Police)
The operation, called Project Syndicate, led to charges against nine people in Canada who were alleged to be part of a criminal organization linked to the mafia in Italy by police.
The group has been accused of carrying out illegal gambling, fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering operations through casinos, York regional police said in a statement. news release published in July 2019.
But prosecutors suspended charges against six of the defendants in January 2021 after defense attorneys expressed concern that investigators had committed “significant breaches of attorney / client privilege.” Three of the defendants previously had their charges suspended in 2020.
“The expectation that each case is perfect is unrealistic,” he said. Nicolle added in a written statement. “We operate in an imperfect justice system. By their nature, these cases are complex and multifaceted. We will always face and will always face challenges within the judicial system that may or may not be overcome in any case.”