International criminals posing as tourists are behind Ontario burglary spree, police say

International lawbreakers who arrive as tourists, commit their crimes, then return to their own countries, are flourishing in Ontario, according to a local police department.

Halton Regional Police believe those involved in “crime tourism” are taking advantage of the extended hours of darkness during the fall and winter to break into homes. They say in recent cases, more than $400,000 in valuables have been stolen, and significant property damage has occurred.

Police say activity is tied to organized Eastern European and Latin American theft groups who arrive as tourists and go to work targeting affluent Ontario neighbourhoods to steal luxury items that can quickly be sold for cash, before leaving Canada.

Other law enforcement sources say that typically, if caught, the “tourists” are granted bail and then flee the country without ever having to significantly face this country’s criminal justice system.

While Halton Police have jurisdiction in Milton, Oakville, Burlington and Halton Hills, the crimes have been taking place in communities across the Greater Toronto Area and other parts of Ontario.

“They mobilize in coordinated teams, conduct pre-offence surveillance, exploit natural escape routes such as trail systems, and focus on high-value items that can be quickly liquidated,” said Halton Detective Sergeant Kevin Magee of the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau. “Organized property crime has a significant impact on neighbourhood safety and residents’ sense of security.”

Magee said police are committed to disrupting the organized groups responsible for these crimes.

In Halton, Milton is the community that has been the hardest hit with a significant spike in burglaries during 2025.

Investigators say the culprits would enter rear yards by jumping fences from trail systems, forcibly smash rear patio doors, and quickly ransack homes in search of high-value items, primarily gold and jewelry.

Evidence gathered by police revealed that the suspects used e-scooters to travel through trail networks, allowing them to move swiftly and quietly between neighbourhoods before returning to a nearby getaway vehicle, which was identified as a 2021 white Ford Explorer Police Interceptor model.

So far, one arrest has been made in connection with the Halton crimes, and one other person is being sought.

On Feb. 17, police raided a Mississauga residence where numerous pieces of jewelry, trail cameras, and electronic surveillance devices were seized.

Abliamit Ziiadinov, 29, has since been charged with 26 offences in connection with 13 residential break and enters that occurred in Halton between September and December of last year. The charges include break and enter, and wearing a disguise with intent to commit a crime.

Ziiadinov is being held in custody pending a bail hearing.

A second suspect remains outstanding.

Police have released images of the man arrested and the second suspect, and ask anyone with information to contact the Halton Police 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4747 ext. 2416.