Three men arrested in extortion within Asian community in Toronto

On Sunday, October 31, 2010, 42 Division arrested three men in relation to an extortion investigation in the Agincourt area.

It is alleged that:

– the accused targeted members of the Asian community in Scarborough and surrounding areas who responded to advertisements placed in local Asian newspapers and web sites,

-the advertisements suggested that the accused were loan providers,

– victims were required to surrender passports and legal papers as collateral and, in some cases, were required to provide names and contact information for family members,

– failure to pay has resulted in assaults and threats of violence to victims and family members.

Aside from the financial harm caused to the victims, police have serious concerns for the safety of anyone being victimized by the accused.

The names of the accused are not being released as the investigation is ongoing.