Two masked men impersonating tactical police officers allegedly stole a luxury car while pretending to perform a drug search in Markham earlier this week, according the vehicle's owner.
The owner, who does not want to be identified, said he pulled his Nissan GT-R sports car into the Simonston Park parking, near Don Mills Road and Steeles Avenue, at around 11:30pm on Monday. He said that two men in a red Mini Cooper followed him, blocking his car in a parking spot.
"They stepped out, and said they were undercover Toronto police. They said they were performing a drug search because this area is known for drug users in the park,” the victim told CTV News Toronto.
The owner said the men were wearing tactical vests, with flashlights and radios clipped to their shoulders.
"There was a fake police headquarters on the other line, and they were having radio chatter with the police headquarters to make me believe that it was real."
The victim said the fake cops ordered him and his girlfriend to sit on a curb and demanded the car keys so they could check for illegal exhaust modifications. One man then started his car and drove off, the victim said, while the other sped off in the red Mini Cooper.
It all happened within a minute and the entire act seemed very well planned, the victim said.
The car had a GPS tracker and the owner was able to get a signal the next morning. He reported the location to police and officers found it parked on a residential street near Islington and MajorMackenzie in Vaughan.
"When they did find the car, my car was re-plated so I'm believing they had access to a plate machine or something and they probably had fake plates as well," the victim said. The car is still being held by investigators.
Police are still looking for two suspects wanted for theft and impersonating police. The suspects have been described by investigators as white men between five-foot-nine and six-feet tall, who were wearing all black "winter-like clothing" and ski masks.
"Stealing vehicles is not unusual, we know that happens, but in this style, in this fashion is very unusual," said York Regional Police Const. Andy Pattenden. "I have not heard of another case like this in York Region recently, but it is very concerning and it's something that our investigators are taking very seriously."
The victim is convinced the fake cops were well-versed in their routine.
"There is no way this hasn't happened before because they had to have practiced many times before and this had to have happened to someone else," the victim said. "I would just like to prevent this from happening again and help catch these guys."