RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLES LEAD TO CHARGES
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On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) flagged several shipping containers for inspection as part of the ongoing Project VECTOR initiative - a collaboration between the OPP, CBSA, 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. A search of the containers by the OPP-led PATT Team resulted in the recovery of several stolen vehicles. Project RUST was initiated in August of 2024 to further investigate the recovered vehicles.
Investigators determined that a criminal network utilized fraudulent documentation and company names to ship stolen vehicles overseas. On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the OPP PATT Team, the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, CBSA and Ottawa Police Service executed two search warrants in Ottawa.
The following items were seized:
- Approximately seven grams of suspected cocaine
- Approximately one gram of suspected crack cocaine
- Numerous key fobs
- Vehicle diagnostic tool capable of altering vehicle identification numbers (VIN)
- Vehicle tracking device
- One vehicle with an altered VIN
As a result of the investigation, six people were charged and an arrest warrant has been issued for one individual. Please see the attached Addendum of Charged Persons for further information on the accused, their respective charges and court status.