The call came in Wednesday afternoon about several men seen handling a firearm near Wanless and Brisdale Drives, police said.
Uniformed officers and members of the tactical and K9 units responded to the area and subsequently took three men into custody. Police said two loaded firearms were also seized.
Police later learned the three suspects are part of a group they say was involved in the robbery of eight separate pharmacies in the area that occurred between September 2 and 19.
They added that some members of the group are also believed to be responsible for a robbery at a pharmacy in Vaughan on September 19.
As a result, Peel Regional Police and York Regional Police recovered two stolen vehicles allegedly used in the robberies and other crime-related property, including a large amount of prescription drugs.
On Thursday, police announced they had laid a total of 56 charges in connection with the case.
The first suspect, identified as 18-year-old Lenroy Huggins of Toronto, faces 28 charges, including eight counts of robbery and nine counts of possession of property obtained by crime.
Meanwhile, the second suspect, a 16-year-old boy from Toronto, faces 21 charges, including four counts of robbery and five counts of possession of property obtained by crime.
He and the third suspect, a 17-year-old Brampton boy, cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The Brampton teenager faces seven charges, including two counts of being in unauthorized possession of a firearm.
“This was a great demonstration of the value of our community in responding to violent crime,” Peel Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich said in a statement. “Combined with a coordinated police response, this has ended a violent crime spree and taken two more illegal firearms off our streets.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing as other suspects are sought. They did not say how many others are wanted in the case.
Police urge anyone with information to contact investigators at 905-453-2121 ext. 3410 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or peelcrimestoppers.ca.
