Peel Regional Police Recover $33.2 Million in Stolen Vehicles

Peel Regional Police have recovered hundreds of vehicles worth $33.2 million in a significant auto theft investigation, including 37 containers of stolen cars found at the Port of Montreal.

Detective Greg O’Connor announced on Monday that the investigation, dubbed Project Odyssey, began in October 2023 after police received information about stolen vehicles in a Brampton, Ontario shipping area. The investigation initially led to the recovery of two stolen vehicles.

In December 2023, police intercepted a transport truck loaded with stolen vehicles in Mississauga. The driver was arrested, and among the recovered vehicles were a BMW X6 valued at $110,000 and a 2023 Ford F150 valued at $86,000.

O’Connor revealed that a local family-run trucking company was identified as responsible for facilitating the transportation of stolen vehicles. The company allegedly shipped stolen cars through intermodal hubs in the Greater Toronto Area and along Highway 401 to the Port of Montreal. The trucking company’s owners, workers, and operators are believed to have been fully complicit in the operation.

Investigators, with the assistance of the Port Authority and Canada Border Services Agency, opened 37 containers at the Port of Montreal, recovering 114 stolen vehicles, three transport trucks, and two stolen Bobcats. An additional 255 stolen vehicles were recovered throughout Peel Region.

In total, Project Odyssey resulted in the recovery of 369 vehicles valued at $33.2 million, all of which were destined for overseas markets.

Sixteen individuals have been arrested and charged with 322 auto-related offenses. Police have identified 26 suspects in connection with the investigation, with ten suspects still at large and wanted on arrest warrants.

Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah emphasized the complexity and coordination of the criminal operation, noting that more than half of the accused were already out on bail for previous auto theft-related offenses. The operation involved various methods of vehicle theft, including violent carjackings.

“This is a highly-orchestrated criminal operation where several individuals were responsible for stealing the vehicles through various methods, many of which we have come to know, that include violent carjacking rings as well as other methods of stealing vehicles for the intention of shipping overseas,” said Chief Duraiappah.

The successful bust of this organized crime ring highlights the ongoing efforts of Peel Regional Police to combat auto theft and disrupt criminal activities that impact the community.