Toronto police have charged seven people, including three Canadian Armed Forces members, after a kidnapping probe tied to alleged access to cryptocurrency assets expanded into firearms and stolen military ammunition offences.
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Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced Wednesday that investigators have laid a total of 82 criminal charges against seven accused after a kidnapping investigation evolved into a broader case involving firearms, stolen military ammunition and organized criminal activity.
Police allege the victim was abducted on July 25, 2026, as he approached his vehicle in the area of Finch Avenue East and Bayview Avenue in North York. Detective Superintendent Joe Matthews said the victim was allegedly targeted because of his access to cryptocurrency assets.
Matthews told reporters that the victim was forcibly taken and later released, but was threatened not to contact police. He said the investigation grew beyond the original kidnapping allegation after police identified additional suspects and uncovered evidence beyond the first report.
Within 24 hours of the abduction, investigators arrested Saiefeddine Adem, 22, and Raheem Bishop-Jackson, 24. Additional arrests followed on Aug. 11, when police took Talarambage Fernando, 22, James Moreau, 29, and Christian Darbandi, 39, into custody.
Police later arrested Jack Miley, 24, and Suhaib Alekozai, 39, on Sept. 24. Authorities said the accused face a range of charges, including kidnapping and numerous firearms-related offences.
Investigators identified Fernando, Moreau and Miley as members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Department of National Defence said Fernando enrolled as a reservist in January 2020 but was never deployed, while Moreau enrolled as a reservist in March 2018 and was deployed in 2020 on Operation Laser during the COVID-19 pandemic; both Fernando and Moreau hold the rank of bombardier.
Demkiw said no one is exempt from accountability under the law, adding that “Whether you are a member of the military or a member of a police service or a public official, no one is above the law.” He also thanked the Canadian Armed Forces for assisting investigators throughout the probe.
Toronto police said search warrants executed during the investigation led to the seizure of multiple weapons, including a shotgun and two firearm silencers, along with other firearms. Police also recovered more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and said nearly all of the ammunition seized had been stolen from the Canadian Armed Forces.
Matthews said police are currently not seeking any further suspects and that no further arrests are anticipated, while the investigation remains ongoing. “We’re still trying to determine how all of [the suspects] fit together in this puzzle,” he said.
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