Service Ontario employees allegedly part of massive car theft ring

Toronto police say dozens of people from across the Greater Toronto Area have been arrested so far in an ongoing investigation into auto theft and fraudulent vehicle identification numbers.

Police say the investigation, dubbed Project Thoroughbred, began in July and focused on auto theft rings involved in VIN fraud as well as so-called “chop shops,” where stolen vehicles are taken apart and prepared for shipment overseas.

They say more than 300 charges — including several counts of using forged documents and possession of stolen property — have been laid against 59 suspects, and more than 360 stolen vehicles have been recovered to date.

Police say warrants have also been issued for the arrests of more than a dozen others.

Those arrested so far are from across the GTA and they range in age from 18 to 69, a Toronto Police spokesperson said.

Supt. Ron Taverner says the investigation uncovered an alleged scheme involving the registration of fake VINs by employees at a ServiceOntario location.

He says employees are alleged to have knowingly used fake documents provided by the suspects to make it look like the VINs were legitimate, and then registered Ontario licence plates to the fraudulent VINs.

The stolen vehicles were then sold to unsuspecting buyers at a discount, he told a news conference.

None of the ServiceOntario employees alleged to be involved have been arrested at this time, but Taverner said “they will be.”

Police say they also found chop shops across the city where stolen cars are dismantled over a short time to make them harder to trace.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.

— with files from INsauga.com