Montreal Jewellery Store Robberies Were Ordered, Police Allege
Police allege Montreal's 34 smash and grabs were ordered. About ten arrests and fifteen searches on November 11 reached a downtown building that houses many jewellers.
Montreal jewellery store robberies were ordered, police allege, and on November 11 the SPVM moved against the people who placed those orders. TVA Nouvelles reported about ten arrests and some fifteen searches, including one inside a downtown building that houses many jewellers.
On Wednesday afternoon, investigators were carrying evidence out of a fifth-floor unit in that building. A TVA Nouvelles reporter broadcast from the hallway as they worked. He said the officers belong to a squad formed when the robberies multiplied this year.
The stores on the other end of those orders know the cost. At 12:25 p.m. on October 1, a car came through the front window of a jewellery store on Saint-Charles Boulevard in Kirkland. Owner Eddy Safadi was serving an elderly customer at the time. He told Global News it sounded like an explosion. A customer was hurt, and nobody was arrested.
What happened in the Montreal jewellery store robberies arrests?
The Service de police de la Ville de Montreal ran the operation on Wednesday, November 11. TVA Nouvelles reported that about ten people were to be arrested and about fifteen searches were planned.
One search took place on the fifth floor of a well-known downtown building. Many jewellers, gold buyers and other trade specialists work there. The broadcaster said the target was a business with two units on that floor.
Police have not named that business or the people arrested. They also had not published charges when this story was filed. A search is not a finding of guilt, and the other tenants of the building are not accused of anything.
Were the robberies ordered?
That is the central allegation. According to TVA Nouvelles, police believe people placed orders for the 34 smash and grabs that teenagers carried out. Most of those people were arrested on Wednesday or were about to be. Noovo Info also reported that one group is believed to be behind most of this year’s thefts.
About 20 young people had already been arrested for doing the robberies themselves. They were between 13 and 17 years old. In October, the SPVM said about ten investigators were on the file and five other police forces had joined. Their stated goal was to find whoever was giving the orders.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and every accused person is presumed innocent.
How many jewellery stores were hit in 2026?
Two counts have been made public this fall, and both come from the SPVM.
| Period | Incidents at jewellery stores | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| All of 2022 | 15 | Global News |
| January to September 2026 | 46 | Global News |
| January 1 to October 31, 2026 | 55, including 34 smash and grabs | Noovo Info |
If both 2026 counts use the same definition, October alone added nine incidents. That is one every three and a half days. The ten-month total is also more than three and a half times the figure for all of 2022.
Ontario went through the same climb first. Our January 2026 cover story recorded Toronto rising from 10 jewellery store robberies in 2020 to 48 in 2024. Under Siege, Part Two follows that file into this year.
Which stores were targeted, and when?
The reported cases show a clear habit. Most of these crews worked in the middle of the day, with staff and customers in the store.
| Date | Location | Time | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 6 | Fleury Street, Ahuntsic-Cartierville | 1:45 a.m. | SUV driven into the storefront; four arrested, the youngest 13 |
| September 11 | Clark Street, Chinatown | 12:35 p.m. | Five arrested 30 minutes later, aged 16 to 21; jewellery recovered |
| Week of September 21 | Place Rosemère | Not released | Four teenagers arrested, three of them minors |
| October 1 | Saint-Charles Boulevard, Kirkland | 12:25 p.m. | Car driven through the window; a customer injured; no arrests |
| October 8 | Place Versailles | 2:30 p.m. | Two arrested, aged 14 and 15, after the getaway car hit another vehicle |
Two more stores were robbed at Carrefour de la Pointe in Pointe-aux-Trembles, and one at Carrefour Angrignon in July.
Why did earlier arrests not stop the robberies?
The crews were built to be replaced. Commander Iad Hanna, who leads the SPVM’s east-end project investigations, told Noovo Info the teenagers do not know each other. Several of them answer a posted “contract”, and a team is formed from whoever replies.
SPVM prevention officer Caroline Bernier said the first contact often happens inside video games such as Roblox and Minecraft. The conversation then moves to encrypted apps. Recruits are promised a small amount of cash, and Noovo reported that some were never paid. Bernier also said a teenager who tries to back out can see his family threatened.
Hanna gave Global News the detail that explains the structure. The teenagers have no way to sell what they steal. So the gold and the stones travel upward, to someone who does have a buyer. For that reason, arresting a 14-year-old removed nobody the network needed. This week, investigators followed that trail to a commercial address downtown.
Police have also tied the timing to metal prices. Gold has climbed sharply, so the metal in a showcase is worth more to a thief than it was.
What changes for a store after the arrests?
Arrests at the top interrupt the ordering. However, police have not said the network is finished, and the busiest selling weeks of the year start now. The pattern in the reported cases points to six practical moves.
- Staff the lunch hour like a peak hour. Three of the four cases with a reported time happened between 12:25 and 2:30 p.m. Keep two people on the floor then, and use the door buzzer.
- Treat the storefront as a vehicle risk. Two stores were entered by car this year. Ask the landlord about bollards or fixed planters before the holidays.
- Check what the store shows online. A crew of strangers needs to be told where to go. Photos that show which showcase holds the heaviest gold do that job for them.
- Move the weight. Put high-karat chain and bangles away from the showcase nearest the door, because these attacks are often over in under three minutes.
- Book a fog consultation. A security fog system fills the room in seconds. The SmokeCloak team handles the landlord and fire approvals that mall locations need.
- Record every over-the-counter gold purchase. Stolen pieces need a buyer. Photo identification and a written description on each purchase protect the store. They also show investigators that the business keeps clean books.
Also send any footage of suspicious visits to the SPVM. Investigators asked the public for information in September and that request still stands.
Is there national data on jewellery store robberies?
We found no published national count for robberies at jewellery stores. The figures in this story come from the SPVM, as reported by Quebec newsrooms. Police services in Toronto, Peel and York publish their own totals, but no agency adds them together. So the Montreal numbers are the best current measure for Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
How many Montreal jewellery store robberies were there in 2026?
The SPVM counted 55 thefts at jewellery stores on its territory between January 1 and October 31, 2026. Thirty-four were smash and grabs.
Who was arrested on November 11?
TVA Nouvelles reported about ten arrests and some fifteen searches aimed at the people alleged to have ordered the robberies. Police had not published names or charges when this story was filed.
How were teenagers recruited?
Police say recruiters approached them through games such as Roblox and Minecraft, then moved to encrypted apps and offered small cash payments.
Were the Montreal robberies ordered?
Police allege they were. TVA Nouvelles reported that people placed orders for the 34 smash and grabs carried out by teenagers aged 13 to 17.
What should a store do first?
Add a second person on the floor at midday, move heavy gold away from the door, and ask the landlord about vehicle barriers.
This article is general information and not legal or security advice.
Sources: Noovo Info, November 11, 2026; Noovo Info, October 20, 2026; Global News; CTV News; CP24; CBC News; TVA Nouvelles.
Author: Olivier Fel.
Olivier Felicio is the founder and publisher of Canadian Jeweller Magazine, Canada's jewellery business publication since 1879. He writes on retail strategy, market data, trade policy and the commercial side of the Canadian jewellery and watch trade, and hosts Time and Shine, Canada's jewellery buying event. Contact: olivier@canadianjeweller.com.
