Halton Police recover $2.7M in property lost in break and enter spree

Halton Police say they have cracked a crime ring tied to a break and enter spree targeting luxury items.

It is alleged that a group of “foreign nationals” would knock on doors at random to see if anyone was home before signalling those at the back of the house to proceed inside.

“They would quickly rummage through the home,” said Detective Sergeant Paul Foley. “Within three to six minutes, they would be out of the home.”

It’s a pattern, Police Chief Stephen Tanner says, that victimized 70 families in Halton alone.

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In early March, a tip from a witness in Oakville and hours of footage from security cameras lead investigators to a number of key locations.

“We arrested 14 individuals, executed four search warrants in the City of Toronto and in the City of Mississauga resulting in the recovery of approximately $2.7 million worth of stolen property,” Foley said.

The accused, according to police, are all originally from Chile. They face a total of 69 charges.

The investigation remains ongoing in partnership with Canada Border Services Agency.

In the meantime, police are working to return the recovered property, which largely consists of designer bags, jewelry and watches.

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact Halton Police at 905-825-4777 ext. 2255