York Police charge 18 people, seize $4.5M worth of stolen high-end vehicles
Posted March 18, 2021 12:06 pm.
Last Updated March 18, 2021 12:29 pm.
Investigators with York Regional Police have charged 18 people with more than 170 offences and seized $4.5 million worth of stolen high-end vehicles as part of what the force calls “Project Majestic.”
In a release on Thursday, police said the project focused on thefts of Lexus, Toyota, and Honda sport utility vehicles that occurred in and around the GTA.
On March 16, following a two-month investigation, police executed eight search warrants across the GTA and in Brossard, Quebec.
“They would force entry into the vehicle and then at that point they would reprogram the car’s computer to recognize their own fob, a brand new key fob for the vehicle,” said investigator Scott Cresswell.
“Then they would remove the car from the resident’s driveway.”
Photo Gallery – Courtesy of York Regional Police
The cars were then transported to Montreal and shipped overseas to be resold. The containers were then loaded onto ships and delivered to buyers in Africa or the United Arab Emirates.
As a result of the investigation, 18 people have been arrested and face more than 170 charges.
“Investigators in this joint-forces operation are grateful for the assistance of the Durham Regional Police Service, the Canadian Border Services Agency and the Insurance Bureau of Canada,” investigators said.
