Dozens charged, hundreds of vehicles recovered in Toronto auto theft investigation – Canada News

Photo: Canadian Press

Toronto police say dozens of people have been arrested so far as part of an ongoing investigation into auto theft and fake vehicle identification numbers.

Police said the investigation, called Project Thoroughbred, began in July and focused on auto theft rings involved in VIN fraud as well as so-called “cutting shops” where stolen vehicles were disassembled and prepared to be shipped overseas.

They say more than 300 charges have been laid against 59 suspects, including using forged documents and possession of stolen goods, and more than 360 stolen vehicles have been seized to date.

Police said arrest warrants were also issued for more than a dozen people.

Support. Ron Taverner said the investigation uncovered an alleged scheme involving the registration of fraudulent VINs by employees at the ServiceOntario location.

He said employees knowingly used forged documents provided by the suspects to make the VINs appear legitimate and then registered Ontario license plates with the fake VINs.

The stolen vehicles were later sold at a discount to unsuspecting buyers, he told a news conference.

None of the ServiceOntario employees allegedly involved have been arrested at this time, but Taverner said “they will be arrested.”

Police said they also found chop shops across the city where stolen cars were quickly torn apart to make them harder to track.