Despite laying dozens of charges, RCMP have stopped targeting Canadian accomplices in foreign scam calls

In the darkness of the early morning of Feb. 13, 2020, several unmarked RCMP vehicles followed Gurinderpreet Dhaliwal into a parking lot in Brampton, Ont., northwest of Toronto. When he stopped, the Mounties made their move, surrounding his vehicle, ordering Dhaliwal out and placing him in handcuffs within seconds.

His arrest — and that of his wife, Inderpreet, hours later — was the result of Project Octavia, a concentrated RCMP investigation into telephone scams bilking Canadians out of millions of dollars.

A police search of his home would reveal $114,000 in jewelry, plus additional cash, a money-counting machine and other evidence that police say supports their allegations that the couple were key money mules for an overseas crime syndicate, funnelling and laundering money from Canadian victims of scam calls to India-based call-centre operators.

The Dhaliwals' trial has been repeatedly delayed. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, money laundering and possession of proceeds of crime. None of the charges against them have been proven in court. 

Three others scooped up in the task force's broader investigation fled Canada before they could be arrested. Two others were operating from Nepal, but would be arrested if they ever come to Canada. Two took deals avoiding jail time. One was deported. And one has not yet had his trial scheduled.

But within a year of the Dhaliwals' arrest, Project Octavia quietly disappeared. The RCMP task force that targeted Canadian accomplices of scam calls was disbanded, even as those calls continue unabated and Canadians' financial losses mount.

"In an industry like this that operates with impunity, you are sending a message that Canada doesn't care about this kind of crime," said Vanessa Iafolla, a financial crimes researcher at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. 

The Mounties formed Project Octavia in October 2018 after a CBC Marketplace investigation revealed how little the RCMP had done to combat the thousands of scam calls harassing Canadians every year, with schemes ranging from Amazon refund scams to impersonating Canada Revenue Agency officials.

Ralph Goodale, then-federal public safety minister, promised action. Soon after, the special task force was formed at the Milton, Ont., detachment to find those in Canada providing the critical link between victims here and call centres overseas.

"It's essentially a national priority investigation," RCMP Insp. Jim Ogden said when the task force was created.

But in January 2021, with cases still pending and scam call activity surging, the RCMP eliminated its financial crimes unit in Ontario, which oversaw Project Octavia, redeploying the scam call investigators into other areas.

While the Mounties officially say the work will continue inside other pre-existing units, including serious and organized crime teams, a senior RCMP source told Marketplace the investigations have stopped.

Victims "will continue to be victimized, they have no recourse," the source said by email. CBC is granting confidentiality to the source because they fear professional repercussions for speaking out critically on the decision to effectively end Project Octavia.

The source says the RCMP is uniquely placed to work with police in India to tackle the ongoing calls.