Four suspects arrested in a string of vehicle thefts and commercial break-ins across the GTA stole nearly $150,000 worth of merchandise from a trading card retailer in Ajax, Durham Regional Police say. Police say the four suspects are believed to be members of an “organized” criminal network that is responsible for more than a dozen vehicle thefts and eight commercial break-ins across Durham Region and Toronto. Police allege that the group committed a wide range of “brazen” criminal offences, including attempted carjackings and fraud. In a smash-and-grab robbery at a trading card retailer in Ajax on June 14, police allege the suspects made off with $148,000 worth of merchandise. During a news conference on Thursday, police said the suspects have been linked to a total of 36 incidents, which occurred between June and September 2026. Total losses are somewhere in the vicinity of $1 million, police said, and that number could be even higher. In multiple commercial break-ins, police allege the suspects crashed stolen vehicles through storefronts to gain access to the building. The vehicles were subsequently abandoned and replaced with other stolen vehicles to be used in future break-ins, police added. Businesses targeted for theft include pawn shops, cannabis dispensaries, and jewelry stores, according to police. Suspects also allegedly broke into vehicles parked in parking lots and commercial areas to steal wallets, bank cards, and other valuables. Det.-Sgt. Dave Davies said more than 200 charges have been laid in the investigation and there are currently examining “additional incidents” believed to be connected to the group. Further charges are anticipated, he said. Age of suspects ‘concerning’ “The arrests announced today represent a significant disruption to a group investigators allege is responsible for numerous property crimes,” Davies said Thursday. Two of the suspects, identified as Mahith Sivananthan, of Pickering, and Mohammad Sakrak, of Toronto, are 18 years old. The two other suspects are minors, ages 15 and 16, and cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Asked about the young age of the alleged offenders, Davies said it is “concerning.” “We are holding our offenders accountable. No matter their age, if they are causing this kind of victimization, we are going to hold them accountable. It is concerning, they’re youth,” he said, adding that he hopes the charges help deter other young people from committing these types of crimes. Durham Police Chief Peter Moreira said he understands there are circumstances that make young people more easily exploited for criminal activity. “I think we need a wholesale review of how we deal with youth crime in this country,” he said. “I think that exploitation and coercion that happens amongst our young people is a huge problem that remains largely unaddressed.”
