Five men arrested as Montreal police bust alleged car theft ring

After a major operation involving more than 100 officers, Montreal police arrested five suspects in an alleged car theft ring.

Montreal police (SPVM) said they arrested five men Wednesday as they busted an alleged car theft ring operating in Quebec, Ontario and abroad.

Nearly 100 officers were involved in the “major” police operation, including those from the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the York Regional Police, and Interpol. Searches were carried out in Laval, the Island of Montreal and Rosemère, including Jay-Moteur on Samson Boulevard in Laval’s Sainte-Dorothée district and a nearby residence.

In a statement to CTV News, Charbel Abi Ghanem, co-owner of Jay Moteur, denied any wrongdoing, adding that his business has a “very good reputation.”

The five male suspects are between the ages of 40 and 69. They will be interviewed by investigators and released on a summons, police said in a news release.

“Today’s operation aimed to dismantle a criminal group suspected of organizing and orchestrating the export of stolen vehicles abroad. These are high-level individuals,” said Cmdr. Pierre-Marc Houle, head of the Southern Region Project Investigations Section.

“This demonstrates that there are no boundaries in the collaboration between police forces and other partners in the fight against vehicle theft. Together, we can destabilize both vehicle theft networks and the organizations that export them.”

Police say the investigation, which started in February 2024, identified 278 stolen vehicles and recovered 199 of them, all of which were destined to be shipped to the overseas market. The cars have an estimated value of nearly $23 million.

The SPVM said more arrests are possible.

Between 2023 and 2024, vehicle thefts in Montreal dropped by 25 per cent, according to the police.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a comment from one of the businesses whose properties was searched in the investigation.