Canadian authorities have intercepted 306 stolen luxury vehicles worth an estimated $25 million before they could be shipped overseas, following a sweeping auto theft investigation that has resulted in 20 arrests and 134 criminal charges.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials announced the results Wednesday during a news conference in Mississauga, near Toronto Pearson Airport. Investigators say the vehicles were part of a sophisticated organized crime network that targeted high-end SUVs and luxury cars across Ontario and attempted to export them for illegal resale abroad — often at double their Canadian value.
According to OPP Det. Insp. Scott Wade, the stolen vehicles were destined for several international markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and multiple West African countries, where demand for luxury vehicles is high. Police tracked the stolen vehicles and located them inside shipping containers at ports in Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax, intercepting them before they left Canada.
The investigation, known as Project Chickadee, began in August 2023 after officers recovered four stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area. Evidence quickly pointed to a well-organized criminal operation with international connections. The probe expanded to include the CBSA, with support from the RCMP for its international elements.
Police say the alleged criminal organization had international reach and ties to transnational organized crime groups. Among those charged are owners and operators of registered freight forwarding businesses, as well as individuals accused of stealing vehicles across the province.
The 20 accused range in age from 20 to 64 years old. Six are from Brampton, two from Mississauga, three from Toronto, with others from Oshawa, Milton, Oakville, and surrounding areas of southern Ontario. The charges include participation in a criminal organization, money laundering, fraud, and numerous theft-related offences.
Search warrants executed in October and November across dozens of residential and industrial locations in Ontario — as well as one site in Saint-Eustache, Quebec — led to significant seizures. Police recovered not only stolen vehicles but also firearms, large sums of cash, vehicle theft tools, and shipping equipment.
Items seized during the investigation include:
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Three firearms
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More than $190,000 CAD and $32,000 USD
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Re-VIN’ed vehicles
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Key programmers, key fobs, and assorted vehicle keys
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Ontario licence plates
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Vehicle shipping documentation
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Electronic devices such as cellphones, laptops, and hard drives
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Two forklifts and two tractor-trailer cabs
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said auto theft continues to be a major challenge, noting that vehicle thefts in Ontario rose from 17,000 in 2020 to over 30,000 in 2023. He added that auto theft costs Canadians more than $1 billion annually in insurance claims.
“Organized crime sees auto theft as a low-risk, high-reward enterprise,” Carrique said, emphasizing that police will continue aggressive enforcement to disrupt criminal networks and protect communities.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing.
Photo Credits : Insauga
