2023-04-27 07:00:00
Project Stallion, an ongoing investigation into vehicle and catalytic converter thefts in Toronto’s west end, has so far resulted in the recovery of 556 stolen vehicles worth more than $27 million and 314 charges laid once morest 119 people, Toronto Police announced on Wednesday.
“Vehicle thefts in Toronto have more than doubled since 2019, making it a significant issue in our city and across the GTA,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw. “Project Stallion is an example of the actions Toronto Police are taking in our local communities to tackle this growing problem.”
Demkiw credited the success of this investigation to his teams in 22 and 23 Divisions, as well as partners in law enforcement such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario (CISO).
Last year, almost 2,000 vehicles were stolen in 22 and 23 Divisions, many of them Honda CR-Vs and Ford F-150s. The same two divisions also saw over 300 catalytic converter thefts.
Thieves are using highly sophisticated methods to steal vehicles, and are using those vehicles to carry out other crimes or to ship them overseas—mostly through the Port of Montreal—where they are resold for well above their value.
“The spike in auto thefts that we are seeing is not exclusive to the GTA. This is now a provincial, national, and even international problem,” said Detective Sergeant Peter Wehby of the Organized Crime Investigative Support Team (OCIS). “Investigators are working around the clock in collaboration with our partners in policing, government agencies, industry and our communities. Project Stallion is an example of how intelligence-led and information sharing can help us tackle this growing problem.”
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