Six men facing multiple charges in connection with Montreal-area vehicle theft ring

Montreal car theft ring dismantled A sophisticated car theft ring was dismantled after six men were arrested and charged in Montreal.

Six men are facing multiple charges in connection with a vehicle theft ring in the Montreal area that started at the airport.

A Montreal police SPVM news release said on Thursday that the investigation began in May and led to 19 vehicles being seized.

Two suspects were already in custody on other charges, the SPVM said.

"The investigation began with information about vehicle thefts at Montreal airport," the release reads. "However, the network was active throughout the island of Montreal."

Around 30 Toyota, Lexus and Jeep models were targetted, according to police, with a market value of around $2.3 million.

Akym Petioth-Germain, Mario Sarmientos Valle, Antenin Lubin Touon, Amine Ainouz, Lucas Deymos and Gabriel Kafando are facing multiple charges related to theft and trafficking of stolen vehicles, conspiracy and breach of conditions.

Police say that in the first six months of 2024, there has been a 30 per cent drop in vehicle thefts.

In that period, 4,917 vehicles were reported stolen, compared to 6,914 in 2023.