Peel police arrest 18 for carjackings, home invasions

Peel police have arrested 18 people, who areallegedly part of an "organized criminal network" based out of Brampton and Mississauga, in connection with more thana dozen carjackings and home invasions.

The suspects are facing 150 charges, police said Tuesday, announcingthe results of a six-month-long investigation.

Thesuspects wereallegedly involved in 17 violent robberies, carjackings and home invasions.In one home invasion, police said, a victim suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds to his lower body.

"The home invasions have involved individuals waking up to firearms being presented to them in their beds, children at home being traumatized," Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said at anews conference.

Police have reported 54 home invasions so far in Peelthis year, Duraiappah said, as well as87 carjackingsmore than double from last year.

The suspects are between the ages of 14 and 27, police said in a Tuesday news release. Twelve suspectsare from Brampton andthree from Mississauga, while police say the remaining three are from Milton, London and Cambridge, Ont.

Police say they seized 12 vehicles, which they allege were used for crime or were obtained during carjackings and home break-ins, along with $55,000 worth of stolen goods.

Police also seized four fully-loaded handguns and two replica guns. Three of the handguns were traced to the U.S., police say.

"These violent incidents, needless to say, have impact not just on victims that are targeted but the entire community around them," Duraiappah said.

Det.-Const. Allan Dean said the suspects allegedlytargeted people forjewelry, luxury cars, cash and designer clothes. He said six of them were out on bail at the time of their arrests.

Police say they held 15 suspectsfor bail hearings,nine of whomhave since been released with conditions.

Other charges include firearms offences, drug possession and trafficking offences, breach of trust, intimate partner violence and possession of property obtained by crime.