2 Oakville men charged in stolen cell phone scheme

Hamilton police have arrested and charged two people in connection with a stolen iPhone trafficking operation. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby/Apple)

Two Oakville, Ont., men have been arrested in connection with an investigation into the trafficking of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cell phones.

In a release on Friday, Hamilton police said their Break and Enter Auto Theft and Robbery (BEAR) Unit begin investigating after suspects broke into a warehouse operated by T Force Logistics in Stoney Creek in Dec. 2024 and Jan. 2025.

Police said the suspects “specifically targeted” cell phones belonging to Bell Canada.

Investigators eventually tracked the stolen phones, with the help of Bell, to two businesses: Link It Up on Bristol Rd. in Mississauga and Amrit Electronics on Rexdale Blvd. in Etobicoke.

Search warrants were executed at both businesses and police recovered 183 stolen iPhone 16 Pro Max cell phones, valued at between $250,000 to $450,000.

Police also found stolen corporate SIM cards that had been used to unlock the stolen phones, packages in the name of Bell customers that police said had been defrauded of new iPhones by overseas scam call centres, 16.5 kilogram silver bars with $34,000, and $65,000 in Canadian currency and $4,000 in U.S. currency.

Navjot Singh, 38, of Oakville, and Puneet Singh, 45, of Oakville were both arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, and trafficking property obtained by crime.

Puneet is also facing a separate charge of fraud over $5,000. Police said neither of the accused are related to one another.

The charges have not been tested in court.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Bell said it is working with local law enforcement to address a “rise” in cell phone theft.

“Bell takes the security of our customers, employees, and products very seriously,” the statement reads. “Theft and fraud targeting wireless devices is a growing issue across Canada, and Bell continues to implement enhanced measures to prevent these crimes.”

“We are working closely with local law enforcement to support efforts to address this rise in device theft and are also engaging with our industry peers to share best practices and coordinate additional measures to enhance security across the sector.”

Anyone with more information is asked to contact detectives at [phone], [phone], or Crime Stoppers anonymously.