Two Canadian soldiers arrested in Toronto on organized crime charges

Two Canadian Armed Forces members stationed in Toronto have been arrested and charged in connection with organized crime, kidnapping, and weapons theft, according to Toronto police and the Department of National Defence. The soldiers, identified as Bombardiers Sachintha Fernando and James Moreau of the 7th Toronto Regiment, were arrested on Aug. 11. The defence department said Moreau joined the Army as a reservist in 2018 and Fernando in 2020. Officials said Fernando has not been deployed on a CAF operation, while Moreau served on Operation LASER in 2020 during the COVID19 pandemic. After the arrests, both were removed from military duties and had their access to CAF equipment, facilities, and bases restricted while an administrative review continues. The Army is assisting Toronto police with the investigation.