Toronto, Ontario — More than 200 vehicles valued at about $17 million have been seized from alleged “organized vehicle theft groups” operating in Toronto as part of the ongoing “Project Touchdown” investigation, according to a press release from the York Regional Police.
In addition to the vehicle seizures, the five-way multi-jurisdictional investigation has also recovered numerous firearms and several varieties of illegal drugs. In all, police say they seized 15 handguns, one assault-style rifle, magazines and ammunition as well as quantities of drugs including fentanyl, MDMA, cocaine and oxycodone.
The police press release did not specify the location from which these items were seized, however, though due to the number of law enforcement agencies involved—namely the Peel Regional Police, the Durham Regional Police Service, the Halton Regional Police Service, the Canada Border Services Agency and Équité Association—the true scope of this investigation appears wide-reaching.
The investigation has thus far seen the recovery of 215 stolen vehicles, which police say were due to be trafficked to international destinations, as well as the arrest of 51 people and more than 150 charges laid.
York police recently posted a video to its YouTube channel of a vehicle theft in progress, showing an alleged thief using a reprogramming device in a person’s driveway, potentially allowing an accomplice to open the vehicle with a separate key fob.
Police are again calling on the public to lock their vehicles in garages whenever possible, or consider purchasing a steering wheel lock or video surveillance system to help deter thefts.
