Six alleged cholesterol culprits were nabbed after a slippery setup involving the theft of some $60,000 in stolen butter and ghee across Peel Region slid out of control.
Peel Regional Police said investigators became aware in December 2024 of a significant increase in the theft of butter and ghee from grocery stores within the region.
Police said the $60,000 in losses represented an increase of nearly 135% compared to 2023 and there were 180 similar incidents reported.
Project Flaherty was established to target and combat the increase in butter and ghee thefts.
As a result of the investigation, Vishavjeet Singh, 22, of no fixed address, Sukmander Singh, 23, of Brampton, and Dalwal Sidhu, 28, of Brampton, were each charged with possession of property obtained by crime.
In addition, Navdeep Chaudhary, 22, of Brampton, Kamaldeep Singh, 38, of no fixed address, and Harkerat Singh, 25, of no fixed address, were each charged with theft under $5,000.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau continues to look into these incidents, including which businesses are accepting these stolen products.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-453-2121, Ext. 2233, or contact Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or peelcrimestoppers.ca.