Montreal police arrested 13 people in connection with a series of extortion crimes targeting the owners of two downtown Montreal restaurants earlier this week.
Eight men and two women between the ages of 28 and 44 are said to be involved in two independent crime organizations.
The extortion targeted the owners of two restaurants in the downtown Ville-Marie borough stemming back to last fall.
“The investigation wasn’t focused on the people who did the crimes, but on a higher level for the criminals,” said SPVM Cmdr. Pierre-Marc Houle.
Thirteen arrests were made following an extensive investigation that involved multiple jurisdictions including the Sureté du Québec.
“Fifteen warrants were executed mostly in Montreal and also in Laval and Châteauguay,” said Houle.
Montreal police say extortion is nothing new but there has been an uptick in this type of crime since the pandemic, which they say they are monitoring closely.
“We encourage business owners speak up with the SPVM if they have any information to give to us,” added Houle.
Alia Hassan Cournol, councillor for Hochelaga Maisonneuve, said the city is working closely with the merchant’s associations and the police.
“For both our administration and the SPVM. it’s a priority,” said Hassan Cournol.
“Business owners need to reach out to the SPVM, that’s really important. The more data they have, the more tactical they are on the ground.”
The incidents also serve as a reminder of how important it is to invest in the city’s youth population.
“Investing in infrastructure, investing in believing in the younger crowd and giving them space,” said Hassan Cournol.
Opposition leader for Ensemble Montréal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, believes these types of crimes are completely unacceptable.
“It has to be tolerance zero and people need to feel safe, to call the police and say what’s happening,” she said during a press conference Thursday morning.
Montreal police say investigations are ongoing. Police are also looking into other recent incidents, including last week’s firebombing of two restaurants and one coffee shop targeted by mistake.