The Durham regional police have arrested 46 individuals, including several from India, in connection with what they have termed 'criminal tourism'—a scheme where international organized crime groups send people to Canada specifically to commit high-profit crimes. All those arrested possessed legal visas to enter and stay in Canada, but authorities allege they were not in the country for legitimate purposes such as study or work. Instead, they were brought in for criminal operations.
Project Jetsetter Investigation
The investigation, named Project Jetsetter, spanned several years and linked over 200 incidents since 2019 to the network. Financial losses amounting to $2.6 million have been attributed to the group, and a total of 1,500 charges have been laid. The racket encompassed a wide range of criminal activities, including large-scale retail theft, vehicle-purchasing scams, jewelry theft, vehicle financing fraud, and staging collisions to commit insurance fraud.
Police Statements
Durham police chief Peter Moreira emphasized the exploitative nature of these operations: 'They will exploit opportunities wherever they exist, and while the methods may vary, the goal remains the same: to profit at the expense of our residents, our businesses and communities.' Detective Brad Chapman further explained that a majority of those arrested are from Romania and India. 'They travel quite frequently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, they come here and they commit criminal offences, and a lot of times, they leave the country before we can identify who they are,' Chapman said, adding that 164 suspects are still wanted.
Chapman noted that this activity is not limited to the Durham region. 'This activity is not unique to our region. We are seeing the same individuals, the same methods, and the same networks operate across the Greater Toronto Area and across Canada,' he said. 'These groups are mobile, coordinated, and in many cases connected to a broader organized crime network that extends beyond our borders.'
National Perspective
Mario Panizzon, director general of RCMP National Intelligence, described criminal tourism as 'a recent, borderless form of organized crime that impacts the daily lives of Canadians.'
List of Indians Named in the Case
Among those arrested or wanted are the following Indian nationals:
- Parvadiya, Savan Dharmeshbhai
- Jagdeep Singh
- Gurpreet Kaur
- Arshdeep Gurm
- Harsimran Singh Dhillon
- Arshjot Singh Dhillon
- Gurinder Singh
- Pradeep Kumar
- Sher Singh
- Paramjeet Singh
- Jasdeep Singh
- Nitika Singla
