“Butter continues to be a hot commodity for thieves in the Guelph area,” according to local police. They report that the latest two thefts in the small southwestern Ontario city, 70 km west of Downtown Toronto, occurred in mid-October.
Police allege that on October 12, two males entered a business on Speedvale Avenue East separately before meeting inside. Then, they placed three cases of butter valued at $936 in a cart and escaped through the receiving door.
Four days later, there was a similar theft. Two males entered a business on Eramosa Road separately before meeting up inside, police say. They placed four cases of butter valued at $958 in a cart and left through an emergency exit.
Police say there have been “at least seven large-scale butter thefts” in Guelph in the last 10 months, reports Guelph Today.
They can’t say whether the incidents are related. And ask anyone with information about the thefts to contact Detective Constable Adam Roszell at 519-824-1212, ext. 7117, or via email: [email protected].
In both cases, police described the alleged culprits as men with brown skin, approximately 40 years of age, 5’7” tall, with medium builds.
Police described one of the suspects in the first theft as wearing a dark sleeveless vest and a blue and white baseball cap, while the second was wearing a dark winter coat and red baseball cap.
In the second incident, one of the men was described as wearing a tan jacket, black pants and a black winter hat. The other wore a black jacket, black pants and a black baseball cap.
Previous butter thefts
The rash of butter thefts dates back to August 2023, when thieves targeted two Guelph businesses.
Police allege a man walked out of a store at Gordon Street and Clair Road in Guelph with two cases of butter valued at approximately $500.
An hour later, a man walked out of a store at Kortright Road West and Edinburgh Road South with $300 worth of butter. He was last seen leaving in a white Toyota Corolla, police say. Police haven’t said whether it was the same man.
Beyond the Guelph area, Peel region police say they caught three Brampton men with more than $1K worth of stolen butter, reports CTV Kitchener.
Police allege the men were seen putting a case of butter in a cart, walking out of the store and driving away.
However, an hour later, police found the vehicle outside another grocery store. They arrested two men in the vehicle as well as a third man as he was leaving the business. Police say the third man abandoned a cart just outside the store and they found stolen butter in it.
In total, police say they recovered 144 sticks of butter and 17 containers of ghee (a type of clarified butter, originating from the Indian subcontinent) from that robbery.
Police told CBC News that most of the butter ends up on the black market or is sold through resale websites at a discount.
Some Guelph residents have reacted humorously to the butter crime wave.
“They must have a recipe,” one told the CBC outside the grocery store where the latest theft occurred.
Some took to social media.
“What a slippery bunch of thieves,” online user LocalGuelphRealtor wrote on Reddit.
“Ugh, this story makes my stomach churn,” wrote Reddit user Secret-Coconut-9728.
“Pssst… Need a pound?,” user tallNfrosty61 posted on Reddit.
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