Toronto rapper ‘Top5’ arrested in firearms investigation: TPS

Hassan Ali, a Toronto rapper who goes by the stage name ‘Top5’, has been arrested in connection with a firearms investigation, Toronto police said.

Police said they were conducting a search on Friday in the area of ​​Enterprise Boulevard and Birchmount Road in Markham, Ont.

This resulted in the police announcing on Saturday that the 26-year-old was

faces numerous charges including unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm while prohibited.

Officers also arrested Yasin Ali, 29, on similar firearms-related charges.

Police told CP24 the two suspects are not related. The charges have not been tested in court.

Hassan Ali was released from prison last year after a Supreme Court judge upheld his charges in the 2021 shooting of 20-year-old student Hashim Omar Hashi after some social media evidence in the case was dismissed.

Shortly after the charges were dropped, Ali shared his experiences from prison in an online stream, claiming he was able to get his hands on a knife and cellphones and was able to eat a cheeseburger.

In 2023, Ali used one of the cell phones to record a music video while in custody at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont. He claimed he paid $10,000 to get the phone.

Ontario’s attorney general had launched a full investigation into the incident.

Although Ali’s charges were stayed, the Crown can still revive them at a later date.

Police are asking anyone with information related to the firearms investigation to contact them at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.

With files from CP24’s Beatrice Vaisman and CTV News Toronto’s Rahim Ladhani