5 charged in string of butter and ghee thefts in Waterloo region

Five people have been charged after more than $8,000 worth of butter and ghee was stolen from grocery stores in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.

Police say 15 thefts occurred between September 2024 and February of this year. 

Police say four people from Brampton — a 38-year-old man, a 32-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman, and a 24-year-old man — and a 29-year-old man from Caledon have been charged with theft under $5,000.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service says they're also looking to speak to two other people, a woman and a man, as part of their investigation into a theft from a Cambridge grocery store in February.

Waterloo region is not the only area to report butter thefts. Police in Guelph, Brantford and Peel Region have also reported a number of butter thefts.

WATCH | Ontario butter thieves strike again with 'large-scale' robberies:

Ontario butter thieves strike again with ‘large-scale’ robberies

6 months ago

Duration 2:01

Police in Guelph, Ont., say there have been seven 'large-scale' butter thefts over the last 10 months, including two in October. The most recent cases resulted in losses of more than $900 each.

Sylvain Charlebois, a Dalhousie University professor who studies food distribution, told CBC News that along with it being "particularly easy" to resell, butter also freezes well for a long time, which can make it a hot commodity for thieves. 

Butter retail prices have shot up in recent years. For example, a brick sold for $4.20 on average in Ontario in August 2020, according to Statistics Canada. A brick now sells for between $5 and $8, depending on the store.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.