Vehicles stolen in Halton among hundreds recovered during Project Vector

Vehicles connected to crimes like carjackings and home invasions across Ontario valued at almost $35 million, police say

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1 / 1 Police agencies recovered 598 stolen vehicles in Quebec during Project VectorImage supplied by OPP

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A joint forces operation has recovered hundreds of vehicles that were stolen across Ontario and Quebec before they were illegally exported.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) located 598 stolen vehicles as part of Project Vector.

The CBSA regularly works with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and Équité Association to search sea containers suspected of containing stolen vehicles. Police say approximately 75 per cent of vehicles recovered from sea containers in Montréal are identified as stolen in Ontario.

Since December 2023, Project Vector has resulted in:

390 shipping containers inspected
598 vehicles recovered, including 483 from Ontario and 115 from Québec.

Police say the recovered vehicles identified as stolen in Ontario have a potential value of approximately $34.5 million.

Here's a breakdown of vehicles reported stolen to Ontario police services that were recovered as part of Project Vector:

215 - Toronto Police Service
125 - Peel Regional Police
58 - York Regional Police
19 - Halton Regional Police Service
15 - Durham Regional Police Service
13 - Ontario Provincial Police
12 - Ottawa Police Service
7 - Hamilton Regional Police Service
6 - Niagara Regional Police Service
5 - Waterloo Regional Police Service
2 - Woodstock Police Service
2 - Barrie Police Service
2 - South Simcoe Police Service
1 - London Police Service
1 - Guelph Police Service.

Police say the recovered vehicles have been connected to various types of vehicle crimes, including carjackings and home invasions.

"Project Vector has disrupted the criminal networks that take advantage of the Canadian export market to sell stolen vehicles. These vehicles were destined to be exported overseas, to markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America," said OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns.

"PATT will continue to assist police and justice partners in identifying, disrupting and dismantling organized crime networks involved in vehicle crimes."

Investigations into these stolen vehicles remain ongoing. Police services of jurisdiction are responsible for continuing their investigations surrounding these recovered vehicles, as well as any ensuing arrests.

Anyone with any information about auto theft is urged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

PATT and CBSA collaborated with the SQ, SPVM and Équité Association to assist with vehicle recovery, while reducing the number of vehicles stolen in Ontario and illegally exported through the ports of entry. This initiative was supported by PATT's joint forces operation partners, including the following police services in the Greater Toronto Area: