Peel police arrest 8 adults, 5 youths in alleged crime ring behind home invasions

Police accidental they person arrested 13 radical and laid 197 charges pursuing an probe into a drawstring of home invasions and robberies successful the Greater Toronto Area allegedly connected to organized crime.

During the investigation, dubbed "Project Ghost," constabulary recovered one-third of a total of $1.8 cardinal of spot stolen successful the home invasions, including luxury vehicles and jewelry, Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich announced astatine a quality league Tuesday.

"Project Ghost should besides service arsenic a reminder to the radical who people our assemblage and effort to bash akin activities that it's not invited successful Peel," helium said. "Our assemblage doesn't judge it. Our constabulary work doesn't judge it."

Police arrested 8 adults betwixt the ages of 20 and 25, arsenic good arsenic 5 youths. All of the accused are from Toronto, Mississauga or Brampton, constabulary said. 

They present look astir 200 charges combined, including committing an offence for a transgression organization, trafficking successful firearms and stolen spot and robberies and thefts. Police said no firearms were recovered.

The alleged organized transgression ringing was tally by adults who were recruiting young radical from the assemblage to execute the unsafe crimes, Milinovich said. The five youths arrested during the probe scope successful property from 15 to 17.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown called the alleged exploitation of minors "absolutely disgusting."

"Organized transgression is not conscionable a large metropolis problem, it's not conscionable thing you spot successful movies, it's here," helium said Tuesday. "If you bring unit to our neighbourhoods, if you exploit younker and if you deliberation you tin enactment with impunity, deliberation again."

The accused were held for a bail proceeding astatine the Ontario Court of Justice successful Brampton, and 5 person been granted bail, constabulary said.

Police picture harrowing location invasions

The arrests travel aft constabulary identified and linked a twelve incidents of location invasions to the aforesaid group, said Det. Jeff Chamula.

The archetypal incidental took spot backmost successful August of past year, erstwhile 3 suspects attempted to interruption into a Brampton location wherever a BMW was parked successful the driveway, said Chamula. After failing to summation entrance, the suspects fled successful a achromatic Acura. 

Thirty minutes later, the suspects broke into different home and demanded keys to a Mercedes Benz, helium said. Although the 3 victims complied, Chamula said they were stabbed and 1 was near successful captious condition.

Chamula described a 2nd incidental successful September, which near the operator of a Lamborghini with superior injuries aft they were changeable during an attempted robbery successful Mississauga. 

Millinovich said he's been listening to interaction statements from victims, and "one of them shared that this acquisition was a usurpation of their life, their bid and their freedom."

The probe included a bid of co-ordinated hunt warrants and arrests involving astir 200 officers which took spot successful Peel Region, Toronto and Waterloo past month, constabulary said.

Brown said families successful Peel portion merit to consciousness safe. 

"These were not random acts. This was organized crime. It was deliberate, it was convulsive and it was terrifying for the victims involved," helium said. "I deliberation we're each going to slumber a small spot amended tonight."