Arrests Made in Auto Theft Scheme

Over 100 stolen vehicles worth nearly $9.5 million have been linked to four accused who have been arrested.

Toronto Police has laid 28 charges against the accused in the operation dubbed ‘Project Poacher’.

“The purpose of this project was to identify and arrest members of a suspected auto theft ring responsible for re-vinning stolen motor vehicles in Toronto,” Detective Dan Kraehling of 53 Division Major Crime Unit said at a news conference at police headquarters on June 21.

As the project progressed, investigators learned that the suspects were conspiring with a ServiceOntario employee.

Kraehling said the employee was allegedly being paid to provide ‘clean’ vehicle documents and plates to disguise stolen vehicles, making them appear legitimate to unsuspecting buyers.

“It is alleged that the suspects would provide the ServiceOntario employee with vehicle identification numbers or VINs from vehicles that had been previously sold and exported out of Canada,” he said. “In exchange for money, the ServiceOntario employee would then create new, legitimate-looking vehicle registrations and license plates for these ‘clean’ VINs. The falsified documents were used to re-vin stolen vehicles, effectively disguising them as legitimate.”

Kraehling said the stolen vehicles with new identities were sold to unsuspecting buyers or used in other criminal activities. 

“Some vehicles were even registered to non-existent or deceased individuals to further complicate detection,” he added.

In May, seven warrants were executed on residences, commercial garages and vehicles in Toronto.

From the nearly 100 vehicles identified, 21 stolen re-vinned luxury vehicles were seized worth about $1.8 million.

Shakaib Hashmi, Aaron Mundy, Antonio Valle-Garay and Howard Lee were arrested and charged.

Inspector Heather Nichols of 53 Division thanked Kraehling and the Division’s MCU for their relentless work in dismantling the crime organization that was contributing to the ongoing auto theft issue in the city.

To ensure they are not buying a re-vinned vehicle, members of the public are advised to obtain comprehensive vehicle history reports when purchasing used vehicles. 

“Look for discrepancies such as incorrect vehicle colour or inconsistent odometer readings, make the purchases from reputable dealers and conduct thorough inspections that can help ensure the legitimacy of the vehicle,” Kraehling added.