Toronto police have revealed that they have four suspects have been arrested and over 100 stolen vehicles have been recovered as part of a months-long auto theft that involved a former ServiceOntario employee.
During a recent news conference, it was revealed that investigators confirmed that no fewer than 28 charges have been laid in connection with the case, dubbed Project Poacher, a case that was launched in January 2024.
Det. Dan Kraehling told reporters that during the investigation, investigators discovered that a group of suspects were “conspiring” with a former ServiceOntario employee, who was allegedly paid to offer clean vehicle documents and plates to disguise stolen vehicles.
Kraehling said: “It is alleged that the suspects would provide the former employee with vehicle identification numbers from vehicles that had previously been sold and exported out of the country. In exchange for money, the former employee would then create new legitimate looking vehicle registrations and licence plates for these clean VINs.
“These falsified documents were then used to re-VIN the stolen vehicles, effectively disguising them and making them appear legitimate. The stolen vehicles, now with new identities, were sold to unsuspecting buyers or used in other criminal activities throughout the city.”
He added that the vehicles were sold through various online marketplaces.
He said some of the vehicles discovered in the investigation were registered to “non-existent or deceased individuals” in order to confuse law enforcement.
He said the investigation commenced after investigators reviewed documents that were seized from a ServiceOntario location that was part of another Toronto police investigation.
Kraehling said: “We came across certain patterns in names that led us toward this group of individuals.”
He noted that no outstanding suspects are wanted in connection with the case.
Police said the seized vehicles have an estimated value of $9.5 million. Out of the over 100 vehicles recovered, police said 21 of them were luxury vehicles with the value of around $1.8 million.