BRAMPTON — Peel Regional Police have arrested one man and are searching for another following two “extortion-related” shootings that took place late last month in Caledon and Brampton.
Investigators say the first incident occurred around 3 a.m. on October 26 near Old School Road and Creditview Road in Caledon. Surveillance footage allegedly shows two suspects arriving at a residence in a silver BMW SUV, pouring an accelerant on the driveway, setting it ablaze, and then firing several gunshots at the home before fleeing the scene.
A short time later, police say the same two suspects were captured on video at a business near Dixie Road and Advance Boulevard in Brampton, where one of them reportedly fired multiple rounds from inside the vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in either attack.
After weeks of investigation, police arrested Iqbal Bhagria, 25, of Brampton, on November 7. He faces several serious charges, including arson, unauthorized possession of a firearm, uttering a forged document, and two counts of discharging a firearm recklessly. Bhagria remains in custody pending a bail hearing.
Detectives say the investigation is ongoing and that they are working to identify and locate the second suspect still at large.
Police are urging anyone with information to contact the 21 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 2133, or to provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
Authorities have not released details about the motive behind the extortion or whether the suspects were linked to organized criminal activity, but investigators confirmed that both shootings are being treated as part of a broader pattern of extortion-related violence that has been under scrutiny across Peel Region in recent months.