Nearly $60K worth of butter stolen from Peel Region grocery stores

Butter is seen on the shelves of a grocery store in Montreal, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Six people have been charged in connection with an investigation into the theft of $60,000 worth of butter and ghee in Peel Region.

Peel Regional Police (PRP) said they were notified in December about the significant increase in thefts of the spreads from grocery stores.

In 2024, police say they a nearly 135 per cent increase in butter theft compared to 2023, with 180 similar incidents being reported to them. That rise prompted the service to launch “Project Flaherty” to address the thefts.

On Wednesday, PRP announced that three suspects, identified as 22-year-old Vishavjeet Singh, 23-year-old Sukmander Singh, and 28-year-old Dalwal Sidhu, were charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

Three others were also arrested and charged with theft under $5,000. They have been identified as 22-year-old Navdeep Chaudhary, 38-year-old Kamaldeep Singh, and 25-year-old Harkerat Singh.

Police say their investigation, which also looks into businesses accepting the stolen products, is ongoing.

Similar incidents have been reported across Ontario, including one in Brantford where suspects stole about $1,200 worth of butter from a grocery store.

Scott Tracey, a spokesperson Guelph Police Service, told CTVNews.ca in November that there appears to be an online black market for butter.

One expert noted that that butter thefts would continue as long as the cost of living and food prices remained high.

With files from CTV News’ Christl Dabu