POLL: 5 biggest crime stories of 2024 in Brampton

From gun seizures and identity thefts to a stolen case of butter, many Ontario readers had their interest peaked by crime stories coming out of Brampton in 2024.

INsauga.com has compiled a list of our most-read crime stories of the year in Brampton with a poll to vote on the most memorable.

You can cast your vote below.

1. $4M stolen in Ontario synthetic-identity credit fraud; 7 Brampton residents among 12 charged

Seven Brampton residents were among a dozen people charged in an alleged synthetic-identity credit card fraud scheme across Ontario.

More than 680 unique synthetic identities were created and many were used to apply for and open hundreds of bank accounts and credit accounts at various banks and financial institutions across Ontario, police said.

2. These vehicles are the most targeted stolen cars in Mississauga and Brampton

Peel Regional Police issued an alert in April saying specific vehicles including Range Rovers, Ford pickup trucks and Honda CRVs are among the models targeted by auto thieves.

“Across Peel and the GTA, there has been a rise in thefts targeting specific vehicles from residential driveways at night,” police said.

3. 150 charges, 11 guns seized after traffic stop leads police to arrest of five Brampton residents

An investigation dubbed Project Sledgehammer led Peel police to search three homes in Brampton, one in Waterloo and a storage facility in Caledon.

Police said more than 900 rounds of ammunition, $20,000 in cocaine, various other drugs and 53 Glock selector switches, which can turn a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon.

4. $1,000 in butter stolen in a slippery heist leads to charges for 3 from Brampton

Three Brampton residents were charged and their holiday baking plans were likely foiled in an unusual theft of $1,000 worth of butter in Guelph.

Two men were spotted placing a case of butter in a cart and walking out of the store to a waiting vehicle, police said.

Officers responded and found the suspect vehicle outside another nearby grocery store.

5. Dozens of illegal shipping yards target of Brampton bylaw task force crackdown

Members of Brampton City Council heard an update in February on efforts to curb what the city calls dozens of illegal trucking operations, with a report saying there were some 84 locations under investigation.

Last year there were a total of 71 complaints made regarding alleged illegal outfits, a massive jump from just 10 calls in 2022 and up more than 42 per cent compared to the last five years combined.