More than two dozen people facing charges in distraction theft investigation
Posted September 5, 2012 12:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Durham Regional Police allege that 29 people facing charges in connection with a series of distraction thefts across southern Ontario, are part of an organized crime ring.
Investigators said the ring would recruit people into Canada, who would claim refugee status and then apply for social assistance.
The suspects’ theft strategies included targeting individuals and store clerks through street distraction, store distraction, follow the shopper distraction and family in need distraction.
The 29 individuals face a total of 263 charges, making it the largest investigation of its kind for the Durham force.
“This investigation has identified over 400 persons associated to this organized crime ring,” Durham Police Chief Mike Ewles said in a news conference. “On August 9, 2012, the investigative team closed in on the four main targets.”
The people identified in the probe have collected more than $2-million in social assistance since January of this year.
Ewles added that the arrests were made possible by help from the Canada Border Services Agency, Interpol and the RCMP, along with several municipal police forces including Toronto, York Region and Peel.
Warrants remain for six outstanding suspects. Some of the crimes were also committed in Quebec.
Investigators believe there are additional victims and are asking them, or anyone with information on the case, to come forward.
“Individual victims may not be aware that this group has actually hit them, so we’re asking for them to think back if they were victimized, if they did lose a necklace in a distraction theft and just think they lost it,” Ewles said.
