Three Canadian soldiers among seven men charged in the armed kidnapping of a Toronto crypto executive, with about 2,500 rounds of stolen army ammunition seized

A crypto kidnapping in Toronto has reached into the Canadian military. Toronto police announced on Wednesday, October 14, that seven men have been arrested and charged with 82 offences after a man was abducted at gunpoint on July 25 near Finch and Bayview avenues, handcuffed and assaulted while his attackers tried to get into his cryptocurrency and business security systems, CP24 reported. He was released with a warning not to call police. Decrypt, citing the police release, says he owns a cryptocurrency exchange; police have not named him or the business.

Three of the accused serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. Talarambage Fernando, 22, and James Moreau, 29, are bombardiers in the 7th Toronto Regiment, a reserve artillery unit, and Jack Miley, 24, is also a member, according to CP24 and Decrypt. Staff Superintendent Joe Matthews described them as "highly trained individuals with access to firearms." The Department of National Defence said the men were removed from military duties after their arrests.

Searches turned up about 2,500 rounds of ammunition later found to have been stolen from the armed forces, a shotgun, firearms with 3D-printed receivers, GPS tracking devices and quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, police said. The military had not reported the ammunition missing. The defence department said it is strengthening inventory checks and will modernise its ammunition management this autumn.

Police say no suspects are outstanding. The case joins a run of Canadian crypto abductions, including the 2024 kidnapping of WonderFi chief executive Dean Skurka, who was freed after a $720,000 ransom was paid, Decrypt noted.