A third member of the Canadian Armed Forces has been charged in a kidnapping investigation along with four civilians, the Toronto Police Service has announced.
Police arrested Jack Miley, 24, of Toronto, on Sept. 24 and charged him with kidnapping for ransom with a firearm, forcible confinement, and firearms offences, the Toronto police said in a news release on Oct. 14.
Police said officers arrested Miley and six other men following an investigation into a reported “violent abduction” of the owner of a cryptocurrency exchange on July 25.
Miley was removed from military duties following his arrest and his access to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) equipment, facilities, and bases has been restricted, a Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson said in an email to The Epoch Times. He remains a CAF member pending the outcome of an administrative review, the department said.
“This matter is being taken very seriously,” the DND said.
Miley is the third soldier arrested in connection with this investigation.
Toronto police arrested soldiers Talarambage Fernando—also known as Sachintha Fernando—and James Moreau on Aug. 11 on similar charges. Fernando had been a reservist since January 2020, although he never deployed on any military operations, while Moreau had been a reservist since March 2018 and deployed on a COVID-19 pandemic operation in Ontario in 2020.
“Their training that they had received through the military is quite concerning, not only to the victims of this type of violence but also to our officers who may encounter them,” Joe Matthews, chief superintendent of detective operations, said during an Oct. 14 news conference. “These are highly trained individuals with access to firearms, and that creates a lot of concern for not only our community but our officers.”
Investigators alleged that the victim was targeted as he approached his vehicle and forcibly abducted at gunpoint. He was then allegedly handcuffed and assaulted as the assailants tried to access his cryptocurrency assets and business-related security systems. The victim was later released and warned not to contact police, the investigators said.
The police service said it searched multiple residences and vehicles and seized numerous firearms, silencers, large quantities of illicit drugs, and more than 2,700 rounds of ammunition. Investigators allege 2,500 rounds of assorted ammunition was stolen from the Canadian Armed Forces.
Police laid 82 charges in total against the seven men, including 41 counts against Fernando, 22, of Toronto; eight against Moreau, 29, of Markham; and seven against Miley.
Police said they also arrested Raheem Bishop-Jackson, 24, of Toronto; Saiefeddine Adem, 22, of Toronto; Christian Darbandi, 39, of Toronto; and Suhaib Alekozai, 39, of Toronto.
Matthews said investigators were still looking into how the seven accused knew each other.
