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A 33-year-old man of Indian origin has been arrested in the city of Hamilton, Canada, for allegedly making extortion calls and threats.

Hitesh Bansal, a resident of Brampton, Canada, has been charged with three counts of extortion after allegedly making threats of violence to Brampton business owners, families, and staff.

Bansal, who was arrested on February 12, is currently in police custody, has a pending bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.

The Canadian authorities have also apprehended additional suspects linked to extortion threats targeting businesses in the Greater Toronto area, particularly those owned by South Asians.

“The accused claimed to have ties to the mob and that they would force the victim to shut down their business. The threats were made via phone calls and text messages,” according to Peel Police.

Peel Regional Police’s Extortion Investigative Task Force (EITF) is investigating the matter.

This development follows the arrest of four individuals by the Peel Police. Gagan Ajit Singh, Anmoldeep Singh, Hashmeet Kaur, and Iymanjot Kaur were arrested by the Peel Police on January 24, in connection with similar offences, including property damage, threats, and firearms-related violations.

Additionally, Arundeep Thind, 39, was separately charged with extortion related to a specific incident for sending threatening messages and demanding money. He was arrested but released after two weeks in custody.

Thind’s message, ‘Putt bach ke’, right after his release, was aimed at his targets, worrying the local Indo-Canadian community.