Peel police and CBSA recover 20 stolen cars, arrest 3

A joint investigation between the Peel police and the Canada Border Services Agency has led to the recovery of 20 stolen vehicles and three arrests, the police force said Sunday.

In December 2023, an investigation began into a trucking yard in Brampton, Peel police said in a news release issued Sunday. The investigation led police to find an industrial location in Bolton, which is part of Caledon, that was being used to  load stolen vehicles that would be shipped overseas, police say.

The cars were destined for locations like the cities of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates and Sohar, in Oman, according to police.

Police say three men were arrested on March 26 as part of the investigation, a 62-year-old and 38-year-old from Toronto, as well as a 29-year-old from Mississauga.

The men have been charged with offences like trafficking stolen goods and possession of property obtained by crime.

Police say $1.8 million worth of vehicles were recovered.

The recovery comes after the Ontario Provincial Police announced earlier this week that a police operation at the Port of Montreal has led to the recovery of 598 stolen vehicles since December. Like the cars recovered by Peel, those vehicles were also slated for shipment overseas.

Provincial police said most of those hundreds of cars were taken from the Greater Toronto Area.

Police hailed the project as an important step in their fight against organized criminal networks that they say are behind a recent surge in car thefts in Eastern Canada.

In Ontario and Quebec, car thefts have increased by 48 per cent and 58 per cent respectively between 2021 and 2023.