Information of hundreds of drivers trafficked in auto-theft ring involving ServiceOntario employees: police
Toronto police say the information of hundreds of drivers in the province was trafficked to suspects allegedly running an auto-theft ring involving employees at ServiceOntario.
The investigation, dubbed Project Safari, was launched in February with the goal of identifying and arresting suspects behind “numerous” motor vehicle thefts throughout the city.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
According to a news release issued Wednesday, investigators discovered the suspects were conspiring with employees at ServiceOntario – a government agency where Ontarians get their driver’s licences, licence plates, and other vital documents.
Police said an undisclosed number of employees trafficked the Ministry of Transportation’s driving and vehicle data, including hundreds of addresses, to the suspects.
The suspects, of which police say there are seven, then allegedly used that information to steal vehicles and link them to fraudulent vehicle registration numbers in a process known as re-VINing. Those fake VINs were also allegedly provided by the ServiceOntario employees.
The stolen cars were then sold domestically to unsuspecting buyers as used vehicles or used to commit other crimes, according to police.
Investigators said they carried out 25 search warrants at residences, commercial garages, and ServiceOntario locations between July and October and seized several stolen and re-VINed vehicles and equipment used to steal vehicles.
Police also said officers seized roughly $1.5 million in cash and luxury vehicles.
Service Ontario office in Kingston, Ont., on March 23, 2016. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press)
The suspects, who all hail from the Greater Toronto Area, are facing a combined 73 charges in connection with the bust.
The charges include fraud over $5,000, tampering with a vehicle identification number, breach of trust by a public officer, and trafficking in identity information.
A full list of the suspects involved and the charges they face can be viewed here.
In light of the incident, Toronto police issued several tips to those purchasing used cars.
Buyers should perform due diligence in obtaining detailed vehicle history reports, police said, and be wary if the car is a different colour or has an inconsistent odometer reading from the report, they said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
DEVELOPING Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.