Toronto police say they have arrested 20 people and laid 111 criminal charges following a months-long wiretapping probe into a criminal network known as ‘The Union’ that allegedly used violence in an attempt to control the towing industry across the Greater Toronto Area.
Police say that a multi-jurisdictional investigation dubbed ‘Project Yankee’ first began in October, 2024 in the wake of a series of violent incidents linked to the industry and concluded last week with the execution of 14 search warrants and the arrest of nine of the suspects.
Police say that investigators believe the group is responsible for numerous acts of violence “intended to gain control on the towing industry,” particularly in Scarborough and parts of Durham Region.
Those acts of violence include shootings and arsons, police say.
Of those arrested, police said “many of them are tow truck operators” suggesting “the violence largely stems from territorial disputes.”
Ten of the suspects are facing a combined 52 counts of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the investigation, among other charges.
“As a result of our investigation acts of violence on a mass scale were deterred and prevented,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said during a news conference to announce the arrests on Wednesday afternoon.
Suspects are at ‘upper echelon’ of group: police
There has been a wave of tow-truck-related violence in the GTA in recent years and earlier this month Toronto police held another news conference to announce 10 arrests and more than 200 charges that they said were in connection with a number of violent incidents linked to the industry, as well as a mass shooting at a Scarborough pub in March.
At the time, investigators said that those taken into custody were not part of a wider criminal organization and were likely carrying out the violence on a for-hire basis.
The latest arrests, however, are believed to involve suspects who were ordering acts of violence, investigators say.
“The information we have is that we are at the upper echelon with the group that was organizing and hiring the acts of violence and it is quite telling that none of them have criminal records or were before the courts because they are the higher level,” Chief Supt. Joe Matthews said during the news conference.
Police have said that the initial investigation into the group subsequently led to a wiretapping investigation focused on members of ‘The Union’ and their associates.
A total of two firearms and four vehicles were seized as part of the police investigation, including three Cadillacs that were “armour plated.” However, no tow trucks were taken at the time of the takedown.
Matthews said that the seizure of armoured vehicle is “extremely uncommon” and “shows the level of sophistication” of the group.
At the press conference, Matthews also shared previously unreleased video footage showing two alleged arsons: one in Toronto involving a Molotov cocktail, and another in Whitby, Ont., where a vehicle was torched.
Both incidents happened in March and February and were described as deliberate acts of intimidation targeting individuals in the towing sector.
“We are extremely confident that these arrests will have an impact on the violence in our city,” Matthews said.
‘Let’s get it together,’ says Ford
Premier Doug Ford also chimed in on today’s announcement.
Speaking at a separate news conference he suggested that those involved should have their tow truck “confiscated” and that their company “needs to be held accountable.”
“If you want to start shooting streets up, you are going to bring heat like you have never seen before, we are going to catch you and you are going to jail,” he said. “Like get it together, I have never seen anything like it.”
A problem affecting other GTA regions
The Project Yankee announcement comes just two days after Peel police revealed the results of a separate investigation that resulted in $4.2 million in seized assets, including 18 tow trucks, allegedly tied to organized crime.
In 2024, there were 63 shooting and firearm discharge incidents in Toronto that were linked to tow truck-related disputes.
So far in 2025, firearm discharges linked to the industry have accounted for 15 per cent of all Toronto shooting incidents.
“As you have seen with recent announcements, including from other police services, tow truck industry related crimes are not only a City of Toronto problem, it is a challenge that is affecting other regions in the GTA,” Matthews said.
A full list of charges and the names of those accused is available online.
