2 men charged after '40 separate' alleged thefts from LCBO stores in Toronto

Two men face a slew of charges in connection with dozens of alleged thefts at LCBO retails outlets across Toronto, police said Saturday.

The men, aged 25 and 31, both from Toronto, were arrested and charged last month, according to Toronto police.

Officers were called to an LCBOstore at675 Wilson Ave.on January 16 for reports of a theft. With help from the public, they were able to find the two men driving in a vehicle nearby. The officers pulled the accused over, and a "brief foot chase" ensued, police said in a news release.

"Subsequent investigation has revealed that up to 40 separate incidents of thefts are believed to be associated to these two men, totalling a substantial retail loss," the release said.

The 25-year-old faces nine charges, including theft over $5,000 and disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence. The 31-year-old was charged with 10 offences, among them theft over $5,000 and dangerous driving.

Both men appeared in a Toronto court on January 17.

Thefts from LCBO stores under scrutiny

Thefts from LCBOoutlets have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, afteremployees revealed in media reports that they frequently face dangeroussituations causedby alleged thieves. The LCBO maintains a policy that staff cannot attempt to stop or apprehend a person stealing alcohol, even if it is self-evident that a theft is in progress.

A tweet by Toronto food writer Chris Nuttall-Smith on January 14, featuring a person walking out of a west-endLCBO store downtown with a basket full of Scotch whiskey, spread quickly online and sparked considerable public interest in the issue.

Meanwhile, in December, Toronto police said they had arrested two people in connection with what investigators believe is a ring of thieves targeting LCBO stores in the downtown core. Police said at the time they believed as many as 10 other people were involved in the racket.

The alleged network of thieves took more than $200,000 of products from LCBO outlets over a period of several months last year, police said.