Montreal gangs shoot up Mississauga and Brampton on trip to steal vehicles

Four men have been arrested after suspects linked to Montreal gangs fired more than 40 rounds in Mississauga and Brampton while on a trip to steal vehicles, police say.

The Peel Police Services Board heard details on Friday (April 21) about what Peel Regional Police say were a pair of linked shootings in Mississauga and Brampton last month.

The board heard that men linked to two Montreal gangs, the Profit Boyz and STL’z gang, were in the Region of Peel in March. Both groups are allegedly involved in organized auto crime in Peel and police said they “travelled from Montreal and were planning on stealing vehicles in the GTA.”

Just after 5:00 a.m. on March 18, police say 22 rounds were fired into an Airbnb on Brickyard Way in Brampton where individuals tied to gang activity were staying. Six people were inside the home at the time, and while no injuries were reported police say officers seized key reprogramming devices and master keys for Dodge vehicles.

Then around 1:10 a.m. on March 21, two men were shot while exiting a vehicle on Ettridge Court in Mississauga outside another Airbnb rental. Police said another 20 rounds were fired in the second shooting and both men were rushed to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police said the Mississauga attack was “a retaliatory shooting” linked to the Brampton incident.

The violence in Brampton carried back to Montreal where there were more retaliation shootings where one person was killed, police said.

Four shooting suspects were identified and police say one suspect was arrested on April 5. Police say large amounts of cocaine and fentanyl were seized during a search and that the remaining three suspects were arrested the next day.

Peel Regional Police did not immediately respond to questions about the shootings or whether charges were laid.

“Behind drugs and frauds, auto theft is the third greatest source of revenue for organized crime…It’s homicides, it’s shootings and violent crimes and firearms,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said following the shooting update on Friday.

Police in Peel have been trying to crack down on auto thefts and organized crime as the number of stolen vehicles in Mississauga and Brampton has been on the rise. Police and auto industry stakeholders came together last month for a summit with industry stakeholders to form a united front against vehicle thieves in Mississauga and Brampton.

The City of Brampton is also launching a pilot program to give thousands of Brampton car owners free Faraday bags – a signal-blocking pouch that can prevent thieves from copying your vehicle’s keyfob.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is also calling on Ottawa to recall the 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada with keyless ignitions and keyless locks “until the technology is fixed.”

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated the first shooting occurred on March 21. Police have clarified the incident occurred on March 18.