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An “organized crime-tourism” group appears to be behind at least 20 residential break-ins across the Greater Toronto Area, police say.

York Regional Police say that officers began an investigation into a series of break-and-enters tied to the group in April.

Police say that the suspects entered residences through rear basement glass doors and would then target cash, high-end clothing, jewelry and firearms.

Four individuals connected to “an organized crime-tourism group” were arrested on Wednesday, investigators said in a press release.

“Crime tourism refers to incidents where organized criminal rings legally enter countries as tourists to commit coordinated criminal offences,” York Regional Police Const. James Dickson told CP24 in an email Tuesday.

Three of the suspects were arrested after police responded to a break-in call near Clark Avenue and Dufferin Street. The fourth suspect was arrested after search warrants were executed at residences in Toronto and Mississauga, investigators say. Police report finding stolen property, break-in tools, and a radio frequency jammer during the searches.

The arrests are part of “Project Towns,” a York police investigation to combat break-ins.

“The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are anticipated,” police say.

Jose Ricardo Vargas Sepulveda, 24, Rodrigo Ariel Correa Paredes, 24, Danil Alexis Carrasco Cruces, 44, and Rose Marie Monroy Sepulveda, 27, all of Chile, are facing a combined 47 charges in connection with the investigation. A full list of charges can be found here.

A 39-year-old Brampton man has been charged for allegedly towing multiple vehicles belonging to members of the public “without authorization”, earlier this month.

Peel regional police say they launched their investigation on May 1, after receiving “multiple reports” of vehicles being taken from Brampton parking lots without the approval from property management.

Police say the vehicles were later located at a private storage yard.

As a result of their investigation police have charged 39-year-old Jaswinder Singh Saini, from Brampton, with three counts of theft of a motor vehicle.

It’s alleged that Saini worked for a towing company out of Brampton known as A1 Flames Recovery and Towing, A1 Flames Towing, A1 Towing and Alpha One Towing.

Investigators are now appealing to the public and seeking more victims for what they describe as an “ongoing auto theft investigation.”

Anyone who believes their vehicle may have been unlawfully towed or stored, or who paid fees under those circumstances, is asked to contact police immediately.

The mismanagement includes a huge raise and equally huge termination payout to its former president, John Tibbits.

Shocking . . .

These decisions include members of the board’s approval of a 55 per cent salary increase to over $636,000 in 2024 for former longtime president John Tibbits, in addition to a termination payment for Tibbits that totalled 83 times the president’s monthly salary.

The audit also uncovered a $23,000 trip to Italy taken by three senior leaders, and other similar trips, where the school paid for business class airfare, luxury accommodations and premium transportation.

In addition, repeated, ineligible hospitality expenses were approved without proper oversight, including a $1,300 dining expense for internal staff, where 50 per cent of the pre-tax total was alcohol.

Ontario’s postsecondary institutions have lost more than 90,000 international students over the last two years amid an effort by the federal government to cap the number of study permits it issues, according to a new Statistics Canada report.

The number of international students peaked in Ontario during the 2023-2024 year following a steady rise since 2020 but is now expected to drop below 2021-2022 levels, according to the study.

Statistics Canada says that its preliminary estimates suggest that Ontario will have 92,000 fewer international students in the 2025-2026 academic year compared to 2023-2024, representing a 36 per cent drop.

The federal government has been reducing the number of international students it admits since 2024 in an effort to curb the growth in the country’s temporary population.

“The relative share of international students among all postsecondary students has increased fivefold since the early 2000s, from about five per cent to nearly 25 per cent,” the study says. “A steady decline in the number of international students is anticipated in Canada, particularly in Ontario, where the effects should be among the largest.”

Ontario has 54 per cent of Canada’s international students despite Ontario only making up 39 per cent of Canada’s overall population.

The decline in international students was seen across Canada, with a 26 per cent decline in Atlantic Canada, 14 per cent in Quebec, 17 per cent in the Prairie provinces, and 24 per cent in British Columbia over the last two years.

Schools across Canada have been struggling to adapt to the new federal policy on international students. A March report by Canada’s Auditor General found that the immigration department had approved less than half the number of study permits they were expected to in 2024.

“The schools found a way to abuse international students for money, and they took advantage of it. And if your institution can’t run profitably without exploiting international students, that’s not our fault. That’s your fault,” Algonquin College student Robin Gifford told CTV News in March.

A number of Ontario colleges have announced layoffs in recent months amid a drop in enrollment.

George Brown Polytechnic announced a new round of layoffs in April after saying they were going to cut 51 jobs in a March announcement that alluded to “financial pressures, largely driven by changes to international student policies.”

Humber Polytechnic offered “voluntary exit packages” to all staff members in February.