By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Seven active Toronto Police Service officers and one retired officer have been charged in a wide-ranging corruption and organized crime investigation.
• Investigators allege officers unlawfully accessed and shared confidential personal information with criminal networks, sometimes in exchange for bribes.
• The probe began after a conspiracy to murder an Ontario corrections management employee was uncovered, leading to arrests at the suspected target’s home.
• Additional suspects tied to shootings, drug trafficking and other offenses were also arrested in the ongoing investigation.
TORONTO, ON — Seven active officers with the Toronto Police Service and one retired officer have been charged in an extensive investigation into police corruption and organized crime, law enforcement officials said.
The investigation, known as Project South and led by York Regional Police with multiple partner agencies, began in June 2025 after authorities uncovered a conspiracy to murder a member of corrections management employed at an Ontario correctional institution.
Officials allege several officers unlawfully accessed and distributed confidential personal information through police databases to criminal associates, in some cases receiving bribes in return. The leaked information is alleged to have been used to facilitate shootings, extortion schemes and robberies across the Greater Toronto Area.
Police also charged additional suspects connected to the broader criminal network, including individuals alleged to be involved in drug trafficking and violent offenses. Law enforcement said at least 19 non-police suspects were arrested in connection with the investigation.
Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and York Regional Police leadership characterized the case as deeply troubling, suspended the officers involved and said internal disciplinary measures and external oversight reviews will follow as the legal process continues.