Shoplifting Investigation Leads to 64 Arrests, 155 Charges: Durham Police

The Durham Regional Police East Division building is shown in Bowmanville, Ont., on March 15, 2025. The Canadian Press/Doug Ives

Durham police have arrested 64 people and laid 155 charges following a weeks-long investigation into retail theft.

The “safe shop” initiative ran for five weeks—between Nov. 10 and Dec. 16—and involved members of Durham Regional Police’s East Division Community Response Unit (CRU) focusing on retail theft enforcement.

“Members of the CRU Unit, with the assistance of front-line officers, worked in partnership with the LCBO Resource Protection Unit to identify high theft locations across Durham Region,” Durham Regional Police said in a Dec. 26 media release.

Officers maintained a “highly visible presence” in the identified locations in Ontario’s Durham Region throughout the initiative in an effort to deter criminal activity, Durham police said.

The initiative led to the arrest of 64 individuals and 155 charges, the police unit said. Of the 64 arrests, 17 arrests resulted in 32 charges that were related to thefts at LCBO locations. Additionally, 38 of the 155 total charges included breach-related offences, police say.

Amazon Theft Investigation

In a separate investigation, Durham police say five individuals are facing charges after a $2 million Amazon theft and fraud investigation in Ajax, Ont.

Members of Durham Regional Police’s Financial Crimes Unit (FCU) began the investigation in November into two employees of an Amazon Fulfillment Centre in Ajax, the police unit said in a Dec. 17 media release.

“Investigators were contacted by Amazon Loss Prevention after it was alleged that two employees were responsible for the theft of approximately $2 million in merchandise over a two-year period,” Durham police said.

Police say investigators took the two employees into custody on Dec. 15 before executing a search warrant at a Scarborough, Ont., residence where they located three additional suspects who were also taken into custody.

Police seized more than $250,000 in high-end electronics and $50,000 in Canadian currency, Durham police said.

Mehul Baldevbhai Patel, 36, of Newmarket was charged with fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000.

Ashishkumar Savani, 31, of Scarborough was charged with fraud over $5,000, theft over $5,000, trafficking in property obtained by crime under $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime for the purpose of trafficking over $5,000.

Bansari Savani, 28, of Scarborough was charged with possession of property obtained by crime for the purpose of trafficking over $5,000, and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.

Yash Dhameliya, 29, and Janviben Dhameliya, 28, of Scarborough were each charged with possession of property obtained by crime for the purpose of trafficking over $5,000.

Durham police says all five individuals were released on an undertaking.

Anyone with information relating to similar incidents is asked to contact the FCU or submit anonymous tips to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers. Those who provide information may be eligible for a cash reward, the police unit says.