Latest news with #PeelPolice
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mississauga group stole baby formula to trade for drugs, Peel police say
Peel Regional Police have arrested 11 people and laid 33 charges in Mississauga, where baby products were allegedly being exchanged for drugs. The four-month-long investigation in the Meadowvale area found a group was allegedly stealing high-demand baby products, such as formula, from local retailers and trading them directly for drugs. Staff Sgt. David Laing said this was likely a "product of opportunity" for the commercial retail theft ring. "Baby formula is expensive," he said. "So it maybe was an item that was being asked for from the drug trafficker or the network that was receiving the product." Peel police said in a news release Monday that they recovered and returned over $30,000 of stolen property. During searches, officers say they seized over half a kilogram of cocaine and a variety of other illicit narcotics. The 11 individuals were charged with a variety of offences, including theft, possession of property obtained by crime and trafficking in stolen goods. People in the community saw suspicious activity and contacted police, Const. Jacob Krane said in a YouTube video. Officers then identified the suspects using surveillance footage, police said in the release. "This is an investigation that really showcased the relationship that Peel police has with our community. Taking their complaints serious right from the forefront, working with our community to build this investigation to hold everyone accountable," Laing said. Peel police carried out simultaneous search warrants at two primary locations, one where stolen products were stored and one where the drugs were being consumed. "The identified drug trafficker was selling product and then the individuals buying were attending the second address and presumably using within the residence or on the property," Laing said. Baby food is valuable: experts Since the pandemic, parents have watched as prices of baby products, specifically formula, have skyrocketed. At the same time, shortages across the country have left many families feeling hopeless. It's too expensive for mothers juggling rent, food and work, Allan Gardens Food Bank president Meryl Wharton said. "They're so thankful when they get diapers or baby food where it's liquid or powdered milk," she said. Wharton said the food bank saw 61,000 people last year. Of those, five per cent needed baby formula and diapers. "We're seeing a lot of young mothers with babies," she said. Theft rings like these further the scarcity and inaccessible cost of baby products, said Toronto Metropolitan University professor Alison Kemper. "We see parents just utterly desperate because they don't have an alternative and they don't have an alternative to imported products," she said. The price of baby food for children aged one and older is drastically lower because parents can substitute it with whole milk, Kemper said, but the suspects are definitely not parents. "They're not getting the formula in order to feed their babies. They're doing it in order to somehow improve their cash flow in a drug market," she said. WATCH | Parents struggle to keep up with rising baby formula prices: Kemper said NAFTA agreements, COVID-19 supply chain issues and the fact that Canada's baby formula supply is solely reliant on the U.S. is problematic. "Whatever happens with trade agreements impacts the availability and the price of baby formula. If we produce it here, we would be able to ensure that we had a constant supply," she said. Regardless, this shows how expensive baby products have become, Kemper said. "It's a very bizarre thing to hear that baby formula is so high value that it's being used as a medium for illicit trade," she said. "People are willing to break into locks [and] shelving to get it out. They're willing to sort of up the ante and use some more sophisticated theft techniques than normal shoplifters."
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Organized crime group stole baby products and exchanged them for drugs: police
Project Bengal led to the arrests of nearly a dozen people. (Credit: Peel Regional Police) Peel police have made nearly a dozen arrests following a months-long investigation into an 'organized retail crime group' that they say was stealing high-demand baby products and exchanging them for drugs. 'Project Bengal' began in early 2025 after a community member complained of drugs being sold in the Meadowvale area of Mississauga, police say. Police say that investigators subsequently identified an organized crime group 'involved in both drug trafficking and targeting commercial retail businesses.' 'The group was allegedly stealing high-demand baby product, such as baby formula and vitamins, from local retailers and exchanging them for drugs,' a news release issued by Peel Regional Police states. 'Through the use of surveillance and investigative techniques, including security footage provided by community partners like Rexall, officers were able to identify key suspects and connect a series of related incidents.' Project Bengal 2 Police say that the ring was stealing baby products to exchange for drugs. (Credit: Peel Regional Police) Police say that they were two main locations used by the ring, one for storing the stolen merchandise and another where the drugs were being used. Police executed simultaneous raids on both locations. As a result of the raids police seized more than a half kilogram of cocaine and other illegal narcotics. Besides the drugs, police report recovering $30,000 worth of stolen property and more than $34,000 in cash. Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said in a press release that the investigation 'demonstrates the power of collaboration, and the vital role community trust plays in keeping our neighbourhoods safe.' Police have charged 11 people with 33 combined criminal charges related to trafficking and stolen property. A complete list of charges and arrests can be found here.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Baby formula for drugs: Peel police arrest 11, lay 33 charges in investigation
Social Sharing Peel Regional Police have arrested 11 people and laid 33 charges in Mississauga, where baby products were allegedly being exchanged for drugs. The four-month-long investigation found a group was allegedly stealing high-demand baby products, such as formula, from local retailers and trading them for drugs. Peel police said in a news release Monday that they recovered and returned over $30,000 of stolen property. During searches, officers say they seized over half a kilogram of cocaine and a variety of other illicit narcotics. The 11 individuals were charged with a variety of offences, including theft, possession of property obtained by crime and trafficking in stolen goods. People in the community saw suspicious activity and contacted police, Const. Jacob Krane said in a YouTube video. Officers then identified the suspects using surveillance footage, police said in the release. Peel police carried out simultaneous search warrants at two primary locations, one where stolen products were stored and one where the drugs were being consumed.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
6 re-vined trailers found at Caledon storage facility; Brampton man charged: police
Boxes are seen inside a re-vined trailer that was found in Caledon on July 11. (PRP photo) A man from Brampton is facing numerous charges after police say they found six trailers that had been re-vined at an outdoor storage facility in Peel Region. The discovery was made on July 11 in the Town of Caledon. Peel Regional Police say officers also located about $56,000 worth of stolen property at that site that had been previously reported to them. On July 22, Satwinder Singh, 24, of Brampton, was arrested and charged with six counts of tampering with vehicle identification number and seven counts of possession of property obtained by crime. He was released with a promise to appear in court at a later date and has an upcoming appearance. Investigators say the accused had rented the aforementioned storage facility in Caledon. This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is urged to contact Peel police's Commercial Auto Crime Bureau at 905-453-2121, ext. 3310, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
2-vehicle collision in Brampton sends 2 people to hospital
A Peel Regional Police cruiser is seen in this undated photo. Two people have been seriously injured in a two-vehicle collision in Brampton. Peel police say it happened at the intersection of Mayfield and Torbram roads just after 6:45 p.m. As a result of the collision, one vehicle ended up in a ditch, police say. Peel paramedics told CP24 that a man and a woman in that vehicle were injured and taken to the hospital. The woman suffered serious, life-threatening injuries, while the man sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, paramedics said. The cause of the collision is unknown.
