Ottawa man extradited from Germany, charged in 2023 fatal fire

An Ottawa man found in Germany has been extradited to Canada and charged in relation to a fatal residential fire in 2023.

On Feb. 6, 2023, members of the East Algoma attachment of the OPP, Mississauga First Nation Police Service and Huron Shore Fire Department responded to a suspicious fire involving a residence and a vehicle on Mississagi Bay Road in Huron Shores.

Inside the residence, police found the remains of 51-year-old Dwayne Kozuch. A postmortem examine determined the cause of death to be a gun shot wound.

Following an extensive investigation, OPP arrested and charged three individuals from Blind River with arson-related charges on Jan. 9, 2025. One of the suspects was also charged with first degree murder.

Through the investigation police identified a fourth suspect and issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant based on evidence suggesting the suspect fled the province and potentially the country.

In May 2025, 33-year-old Milad Aslami was located and arrested in Germany. An extradition order was issued and the accused was returned to Canada on Aug. 29, 2025.

The Ottawa resident is now facing the following Criminal Code charges:

• First degree murder, section 231;
• Arson – disregard for human life, section 433; and
• Arson – damage to property, section 434.

Aslami was previously wanted by Ottawa Police for offences including arson, uttering death threats, and possession of stolen property dating back to 2016.

“This complex and far-reaching investigation began two years ago with the tragic murder of Dwayne Kozuch. From the beginning, our goal was to find those responsible for his death and provide answers to his loved ones,” Detective Inspector Ray St. Pierre, with the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, said in a news release. “This arrest would not have been possible without the exceptional cooperation, dedication and coordination of our local, national and international partners. Their collective efforts were instrumental in ensuring that this individual was brought to justice.”

Assistance to the investigation was provided by Belleville Police Service, Canada Border Services Agency, Embassy of Canada to Germany, Gatineau Police Service (Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, International Assistance Group, Department of Justice Canada, Interpol and Europol Germany, Local and Federal German Police (Bundespolizei), Ministry of the Attorney General, Ottawa Police Service, Québec City Police Service (Service de police de la Ville de Québec), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The investigation is ongoing.