Mississauga, Ont. rental car business was stealing vehicles from client driveways, police allege

A Peel Regional Police cruiser is seen in this undated image. (Peel Regional Police)

Police have seized 22 stolen vehicles following an investigation into a Mississauga rental car business.

Police say that officers began looking into the business in 2023 after receiving information that the owner/operator was allegedly re-vinning vehicles that had been stolen and renting them to unsuspecting clients.

Police further allege that many of the vehicles were stolen from residential driveways while they were being rented.

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This, police say, allowed the rental agency to receive payments from the renter’s insurance companies for the vehicles.

“These vehicles were later identified to have been re-registered and re-vinned repeatedly by the rental company,” police said in a news release.

Police say that as a result of the investigation a total of 22 stolen vehicles valued at $1.6 million were recovered.

Two people were also arrested.

Tamer El Gamal, 46, of Mississauga, is charged with 41 offences, including 22 counts of possession of property obtained by crime.

Mohamed El Gamal, 38, of Mississauga, is charged with 27 offences, including 9 counts of possession of property obtained by crime.

Police say that the investigation was conducted in partnership with various insurance agencies as well as the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council.

The authorities say that as a result of the investigation a number of insurance companies avoided “multiple fraudulent insurance claim payouts.”