Dozens charged, hundreds of vehicles recovered in Toronto car theft investigation

TORONTO – Toronto police say dozens of people have been arrested so far in an ongoing investigation into car theft and fraudulent vehicle identification numbers.

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

They say more than 300 charges have been filed against 59 suspects – including several charges of using forged documents and possession of stolen property – and more than 360 stolen vehicles have been recovered so far.

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

Supt. Ron Taverner says the investigation uncovered an alleged scheme in which employees at a ServiceOntario location registered false VINs.

He says employees knowingly used false documents from the suspects to make it appear that the VINs were legitimate, and then registered Ontario license plates with the fraudulent VINs.

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

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

Police say they have also found hair salons in the city where stolen cars are dismantled in short order to make them harder to trace.

Feature image by iStock.com/Matic Grmek