More than 200 stolen cars have been recovered and 28 people have been charged, including an unspecified number of Service Ontario officers, in connection with the bust of three car theft-based criminal organizations that operated out of Ontario and Saskatchewan, police say.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police, a 22-month investigation, dubbed Project MYRA, began in September 2022 after police uncovered a car theft ring that allegedly altered stolen vehicle identification numbers (VINs) to to sell them.
Police say the thefts mainly occurred in Ontario.
As a result of the investigation, police said they recovered 215 vehicles, which they believe are worth more than $12 million. About 37 percent of the cars found were Acura or Honda, according to investigators.
“A wide variety of stolen vehicles were recovered, including high-end vehicles,” OPP Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox told reporters at a press conference Thursday. “Some vehicles recovered by the investigative team were linked to other criminal activities.”
A total of 28 people have been charged, including Service Ontario employees.
Police allege Service Ontario officers assisted with the “illegitimate registration of stolen vehicles.” Authorities did not say how many employees were involved.
Of those charged, 26 are from Ontario, while two are from Saskatchewan.
The ages of the suspects range from 27 to 59 and they are mostly residents of the Greater Toronto Area, but some of the accused are also from Stoney Creek, Kitchener, Caledon, Bradford and Gravenhurst.
A total of just over 240 charges were brought. The offenses vary and include using a false document, trafficking in property obtained by crime, fraud over $5,000, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breach of trust.
Police said they executed a total of 44 search warrants during the investigation, which led to the seizure of six firearms, 230 grams of suspected fentanyl, 1,840 grams of suspected cocaine, 77 kilograms of cannabis, 150 grams of suspected cannabis resin and 10 grams of suspected psilocybin .
Investigators said they also seized $160,000 in cash, as well as $8,400 in U.S. currency. Two cash counters and two laser marking machines were also found.
“This investigation does not focus on petty vehicle theft. The accused used these fraudulently registered vehicles to engage in criminal activities,” OPP Det. Insp. said Andy Bradford.
Ontario Provincial Police say a joint investigation has led to the bust of three criminal organizations allegedly involved in fraudulent modifications and the sale of stolen vehicles.
The first is based in Peel Region and is responsible for changing the VINs of vehicles stolen in Ontario and then reselling them, police said.
The second was based in Durham Region and Toronto, police said. This network allegedly fraudulently registered stolen vehicles in Saskatchewan, transferred false vehicle documents to Ontario, registered the vehicles and resold them to various individuals. Police say these vehicles were also sold to other criminal networks.
The rest of the organization was based in York Region and dealt primarily in high-end stolen vehicles, police said.
“By modifying the VIN numbers on these vehicles, these criminal organizations were able to fraudulently register the vehicles and take advantage of consumers who may have unknowingly purchased a stolen vehicle,” Cox said. “Ontarians deserve peace of mind when it comes to a purchase as large as a vehicle.”
“We want to take this opportunity to remind everyone to be extremely careful when buying a used vehicle. If any part of the transaction or anything leading up to the transaction looks suspicious, do not provide funds and contact law enforcement.
Five of the accused remain in custody, while the remaining 23 suspects are due to appear in court in July and August.
HUNDREDS MORE STOLEN CARS RECOVERED IN PEL
Ontario’s police force has warned it has seen a spike in vehicle thefts in recent months. In addition to a spate of violent car thefts, vehicle owners have also seen their property removed from their driveways in the middle of the night.
In January of this year, about two dozen people were charged with 300 combined offenses in connection with a “prolific car theft ring” in the Greater Toronto Area. And in April, CTV News Toronto tracked a vehicle stolen from Ontario overseas to a suburb of Lagos in Africa.
“We are currently seeing hundreds of vehicles being stolen on a monthly basis, which is significantly more than previous months,” Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said. “This is an issue and a concern that extends beyond our jurisdiction and province.”
Milinovic said while around 200 vehicles have been found in the MYRA project, in Peel the number is closer to 1,000 to date. In total, the vehicles cost about $42 million.
Add Comment