Two CAF Reservists Arrested in Organized Crime, Kidnapping Probe

Two members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have been arrested by Toronto police on charges involving kidnapping, firearms theft, and organized crime, as CBC first reported, citing the Department of National Defence (DND).

Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan stated that Sachintha Fernando, 22, and James Moreau, 29, were arrested on Aug. 11 and face a combined total of 49 charges. Both men face charges including kidnapping for ransom, forcible confinement, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle, use of a firearm during an indictable offence, and mischief interfering with property. CBC reports that Fernando faces additional charges including careless storage of ammunition, possession of property obtained by crime, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited device.

Both Fernando and Moreau hold the rank of bombardier with the 7 Toronto Regiment. The DND confirmed that both have been removed from their duties and their access to military bases and facilities has been restricted. While they remain members of the armed forces pending an administrative review, the DND noted that Fernando joined as a reservist in January 2020 and has not been deployed. Moreau enlisted as a reservist in March 2018 and saw deployment in 2020 for Operation Laser during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to CBC Radio's Metro Morning, Christian Leuprecht, a professor at Queens University and the Royal Military College, noted that reservists do not hold the same sensitive positions of responsibility as regular force members. While Leuprecht described such incidents as outliers, he noted the difficulty of balancing the need to meet growth targets with the necessity of ensuring members conduct themselves according to the law.