20 arrested in wintertime break-ins linked to organized crime in GTA, police say

Police have arrested 20 people for a series of break-and-enters in York Region and around the Greater Toronto Area, involving groups they say came into the country with the sole intention of committing crimes. 

Organized crime groups from Latin America and eastern Europe enter Canada shortly after Daylight Savings Time ends in the fall and return home in the spring, York Regional Police Det.-Sgt Patrick Smyth said during a news conference Thursday. 

The groups choose that timing because it tends to be darker and colder, meaning people are typically not out in their front yards, making it easier to go undetected, Smyth said. 

"Every single one of these individuals arrived in York Region from outside the borders of Canada, and we believe their sole purpose for coming here was to commit crime for profit," York Regional Police Deputy Chief Alvaro Almeida said on Thursday. 

The accused took items of monetary and sentimental value, he said, including jewellery, handbags, electronics, clothing and cash. 

"Many of these items are irreplaceable," Almeida said. 

Police say they investigated 47 break and enters that happened from October 2024 to last month, police said in a news release Thursday. The accused face a total of 235 charges. 

A warrant has been issued for an additional person who has fled Canada, police said. 

More than $2 million in property was stolen in the break-and-enters, according to the news release. Over the course of the investigation, tens of thousands of dollars in stolen items have been returned to their owners, Almeida said.

Police have released images of dozens of unclaimed recovered items. Anyone who was a victim of a break-and-enter between October 2024 to last month is asked to review the photos and contact police if any items are theirs. The photos can be found on the York Regional Police website. 

Almeida said that break-and-enters are often incorrectly considered victimless crimes. 

People who have their residences broken into feel "violated, shattered [and] shaken," he said. 

"In many cases, [they're] walking into homes that have been ransacked, windows smashed, doors kicked. Priceless, sentimental items gone," he said. 

Generally, people who commit break-and-enters are not looking to be confronted, Smyth said. Instead, they conduct surveillance before entering a residence to make sure no one is home.