Canadian police recover more than 500 vehicles worth CAN$27M

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – More than 500 stolen vehicles have been recovered valued at CAN$27 million (US$19.8 million), 119 people arrested and 314 criminal charges laid as part of Project Stallion, an ongoing auto theft investigation, the Toronto Police said at a press conference Wednesday.

As of April 11, 556 vehicles have been reclaimed, said Toronto Police Superintendent Ron Taverner.

"By and large, there are little cells or large cells of individuals who are involved in these thefts and working as organized groups," Taverner said at the press conference.

The vehicles are either shipped out of Canada to be sold or used for criminal activity locally, police said. In one instance, the recovery of a stolen car resulted in a trail that led police to a location where multiple containers were discovered. The containers are used to ship vehicles overseas.

“These containers were used to transport cars to the Port of Montreal, and then they were to be shipped out outside of the country,” he said. “One car led us to 30 cars from that one investigation in a container operation.”

Vehicle thefts are a growing problem, police said in 2022. More than 2,000 were stolen in the city’s west end, many of them Honda CR-Vs and Ford F-150 trucks.

“In fact, they have more than doubled since 2019,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw, “making vehicle thefts a significant issue in Toronto and across the Greater Toronto Area. This project, like others that are taking place across the Toronto Police Service, is an example of the actions that the Toronto Police are taking in our communities to tackle this growing problem.”

When a stolen vehicle is recovered, it is returned to the owner if he or she has not been reimbursed by the insurance company, Taverner said. If the insurance has been paid out, the insurance company gets the vehicle.

The Project Stallion investigation began in November.