Stolen vehicles reportedly recovered in Mississauga and Brampton were among 138 cars worth more than $9 million seized by several police forces in a series of raids last week that busted an international car theft ring.
Various drugs, including cocaine, and more than $170,000 in cash were also seized in the wake of the sweeping and ongoing investigation, dubbed Project Fairfield and spearheaded by Windsor Police and the OPP.
Peel Regional Police were also in on the operation, which culminated in the execution of 14 search warrants on July 26 in Mississauga, Brampton, Windsor, York and Toronto.
Those searches led to the recovery of the vehicles, which included luxury vehicles, newer model pickup trucks and SUVs, in addition to a number of other items including the drugs and cash.
Police haven’t said how many of the stolen vehicles were recovered in Mississauga and/or Brampton.
Additionally, 23 people are facing a total of 279 charges in connection with the wide-ranging police investigation.
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It’s not yet known how many, if any, of those charged are from Mississauga and Brampton.
Investigators say the comprehensive probe, launched in April 2022 by Windsor Police, also led to the recovery of:
1,050 methamphetamine tablets
4.9 pounds of cannabis
1.1 pounds of cannabis concentrate
320 grams of cocaine
$144,635 in Canadian currency and $26,698 in United States currency
In total, the illicit drugs seized have an estimated street value of $506,000, police say.
Windsor Police and the OPP, the latter law enforcement agency joining the investigation last September, said a “sophisticated crime group” was responsible for stealing vehicles in Windsor and the surrounding area.
“This group was operating across multiple jurisdictions and vehicles were being exported to other countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Republic of Columbia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” police said in a press release issued today (Aug. 3). “In addition, (members of the group) were also fraudulently modifying stolen vehicles’ identification numbers (VINs) to later sell them through private sales, in a process known as ‘re-vinning’.”
Prior to last week’s multiple busts, in an incident related to the investigation, police stopped a known stolen vehicle on Hwy. 401 near Kingston last Dec. 8. The vehicle had been “re-vinned.”
The traffic stop resulted in the seizure of 14,914 synthetic opioids tablets in addition to other drugs, police say. The tablets had been pressed to appear as legitimate oxycodone (prescription) pills.
London Police and the Canada Border Services Agency were among the other law enforcement agencies involved in the operation.
Police say people should be cautious when purchasing a vehicle through a private sale.
“Buyers should ensure they retrieve as much information as possible on both the vehicle and the seller and perform due diligence in advance of providing any funds to the seller,” police say. “Buyers should be suspicious of a private seller who will not provide identification or who insists on receiving cash as payment.”
