Nearly 90 stolen vehicles recovered by police in York Region
Nearly 90 stolen cars were recovered and nine people from Ontario and Quebec have been charged in connection with a massive vehicle theft investigation in the Greater Toronto Area.
The investigation—named Project Crockpot—began in June.
Throughout the course of the investigation, officers identified nine people believed to be involved in the theft of vehicles. Police say those stolen cars were being shipped overseas and sold.
Police executed search warrants at several locations in Toronto and say they recovered 88 stolen cars worth more than $5 million.
They also seized an unspecified quantity of electronic re-programmers and about $300,000 in cash.
The nine suspects, three of whom are Quebec residents, were arrested and are facing a combined 53 charges. The offences include possession of property obtained by crime over and under $5,000, possession of a master key, theft of a motor vehicle and trafficking in property obtained by crime over $5,000.
In a news release issued Thursday, York Regional Police said that thieves have recently been using tools like screwdrivers to gain access to vehicles without setting off an alarm.
“Once inside, an electronic device, typically used by mechanics to reprogram the factory setting, is connected to a port below the dashboard and programs the vehicle to accept a key the thieves have brought with them,” they said. “Once the new key is programmed, the vehicle will start and the thieves drive it away.”
Vehicle owners are being urged to keep their vehicle in a locked garage, to use a steering wheel lock and to install a lock on the data port.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact York Regional Police or reach out to crime stoppers anonymously.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.