Hamilton police charge 21 people with 175 offences in nationwide retail theft ring

Hamilton police have charged 21 people and seized more than $1 million in stolen goods as a result of an investigation across multiple jurisdictions into an alleged organized group of retail thieves.

Detectives launched the investigation in August to respond to the growing trend of retail thefts nationwide.

Locally, police had discovered an alleged string of retail thefts targeting Shopper Drug Mart stores in Hamilton — some of the thefts date back as far as February 2024.

Officers allege the people behind the thefts are connected to multiple large-scale robberies and the trafficking of stolen property being distributed provincially and nationwide.

WATCH MORE: OPP, local police charge 6 people from Brantford, Paris drugs, weapons seized

Investigators say the stolen property was being distributed via a commercial liquidation warehouse in Brampton, Ont.

Police learned that the people they believed to be behind the thefts in Hamilton had traveled to Vancouver on Dec. 16 and had conducted a similar string of thefts there.

Vancouver police arrested the accused people and are set to be transported to Hamilton.

Police say the 21 suspects, ranging in ages 15 to 75, are facing 175 charges related to theft and trafficking.

Officers say many of the people arrested were already given release orders or had outstanding warrants.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton police find 20 bullet casings at early morning east end shooting