Police bust international stolen vehicle operation, 279 charges laid

Auto theft ring busted Nearly $9 million worth of stolen vehicles have been recovered thanks to a 16-month investigation. Travis Fortnum has details.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say 23 people are facing a combined 279 charges after police recovered 138 stolen vehicles and seized an immense amount of drugs worth $506,000 following a 16-month investigation.

Police say 14 search warrants were executed on July 26 at locations in Windsor, Peel Region, and Toronto. In total, police say the vehicles recovered are worth more than $9 million.

OPP representatives were in Windsor Thursday to announce the arrests which were part of the joint ‘Project Fairfield” initiated by Windsor Police Services (WPS) in April 2022. The OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB) West joined as partners in September 2022.

“Auto theft is impacting communities across Ontario, and Project Fairfield has demonstrated that a collaborative approach is required to bring sophisticated criminal groups to justice," said OPP deputy commissioner Marty Kearns. "While this investigation pre-dates the development of the OPP-led Organized Crime Towing and Auto Theft Team, it certainly speaks to the importance of its mandate. Law enforcement agencies will continue to work with the CBSA and strategic partners, such as Équité Association, to combat auto theft and fraud in the automotive industry.”

Police say there was evidence that a “sophisticated crime group” was responsible for stolen vehicles in Windsor and the surrounding area. The group was operating across a number of jurisdictions and vehicles were being sold in other countries including the Untied Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Republic of Columbia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The accused were also fraudulently modifying stolen vehicles’ identification (VIN) numbers to later sell through private sales, police say this is known as “re-vinning.”

On Dec. 8, 2022, police say one of the “re-vinned” vehicles was stopped on Highway 401 near Kingston, Ont. During the stop, police seized drugs including 14,914 synthetic opioid tablets. Police say the tablets were pressed to look like legitimate oxycodone (prescription) pills.

As a result of the investigation, police seized the following items:

In total, the drugs seized during Project Fairfield have an estimated street value of $506,000.

Police say a wide range of vehicle makes and models were recovered including luxury vehicles, newer model pick-up trucks and SUVs.

Upon arrest, three of the accused were held in custody and the others released. All are scheduled to appear in court in Windsor on various dates in August and September.

Police say Project Fairfield has been an extensive operation, and included help from other partners and police services. Investigators continue to identify and locate stolen and re-vinned vehicles.

“I commend the exceptional efforts and collaborative approach of all investigators and police partners who dismantled this sophisticated criminal network,"  WPS Chief Jason Bellaire. "This investigation is a perfect example of how law enforcement works together to fight organized crime and ensure the safety of residents in Windsor and other communities across the province.”

The investigation remains ongoing.