Peel police arrest 12 people, lay 136 charges in home invasion and robbery spree
Over $2M worth of property stolen across the GTA, police say, but half recovered
Peel Regional Police say they have arrested 12 people and laid 136 charges in connection with a string of home invasions and jewelry store robberies.
The investigation targeted two organized crime group that carried out "brutal" attacks between May and December 2024 and stole over $2 million worth of property across the Greater Toronto Area, police say.
The criminal network was allegedly responsible for 17 total home invasions and robberies with over 60 victims, including nine children, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said at a news conference Tuesday.
"This really serves as more proof of our message, which we've said time and time again: if you come to Peel to target our community, you can expect that we will come to you and remove you from our community," he said.
Some of the victims related to the attacks were left with life-altering injuries, Milinovich said, highlighting an incident where one man was shot in the chest and another where one person was driven over by a suspect in a stolen vehicle.
Deputy Mayor of Mississauga Matt Mahoney said these were not random acts.
"These were co-ordinated ruthless attacks that tore at the very fabric of safety and trust in our neighbourhoods," he said. "Victims of these crimes were not just robbed, they were traumatized."
Police say they recovered nearly half of the total stolen property and one loaded firearm.
The individuals arrested are from Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Shelburne. The suspects range in age from 15 to 30. Six of them were underage at the time of the incidents and cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
One person is still outstanding and is wanted on a warrant.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown highlighted the exploitation of youth within organized crime.
"Never underestimate how sophisticated organized crime is," he said. "This speaks to some of the challenges we have right now with organized crime and their predatory nature on young people, and I think we all have a part to do in terms of combating that."
Brown said he hopes these arrests are getting the point across.
"This is probably the worst place to commit a crime in the country. It's not if you will be arrested and those responsible will be found, it is when," he said.
When asked how these crime groups are recruiting youth, Peel police Detective Justin Shoniker said they're largely enticed by job postings on social media.
Police said four of the people arrested were out on bail.
The charges laid range from attempted murder to robberies to various firearm offences and the possession of property obtained by crime, Shoniker said at the news conference.
He also said the two groups have interchangeable players and are loosely organized.
The stolen luxury cars are being shipped overseas through other organizations and the jewelry, though more difficult to track, is believed to be making its way back into the industry, Shoniker said.
Milinovich added the individuals will often invest the proceeds of the crimes back into more crimes.
'Troubling rise' in crime across province
The project was funded by the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario and supported by the Toronto Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police.
The Solicitor General of Ontario Michael Kerzner said at the news conference that the province has seen a "troubling rise" in crime.
"If anyone violates the trust of lawful conduct in our province, make no mistake, you will be found, you will be put up, you will be locked up behind bars where you belong," he said.
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