Toronto police arrest 20 people, lay over 100 charges in tow truck-related violence

Police say they have arrested 20 people and laid more than 100 charges following an investigation into tow truck-related violence across the Greater Toronto Area.

Toronto police say they launched a wiretap investigation dubbed “Project Yankee” last October to gather evidence of a group committing crimes to control the towing industry.

Police services in Durham and York regions, along with the Ontario Provincial Police, assisted the investigation.

Police say the charges include arson and more than 50 counts of conspiracy to commit murder.

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says there were more than 60 tow truck-related disputes in 2024, with incidents continuing this year.

He says this investigation has prevented several acts of violence on a mass scale.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.

The Canadian Press