Peel police bust auto theft ring, 12 charged, $1.2M in stolen vehicles recovered

with a total of 81 charges laid. Officers have been able to recover nine of the

Peel Regional Police have announced several arrests in connection to an auto-theft in the GTA. Police say a total of 12 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, with a total of 81 charges laid.

Peel Regional Police investigators say they’ve “disrupted and dismantled” an organized auto theft ring, recovering nine vehicles and laying 81 charges after a months-long probe dubbed Project Memphis.

The project started in March 2023 when police were tipped off about a re-vinned vehicle.

Re-vinning takes place when the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) from a stolen vehicle is changed to a legitimate one to mask the fact that it was stolen.

“Investigators determined some of the stolen vehicles were being re-vinned, fraudulently re-registered and sold in Mississauga,” a police release stated.

“In some cases, the accused attempted to defraud multiple financial and insurance institutions. Various investigative tools were used to identify multiple suspects, recover these stolen vehicles and prevent insurance fraud.”

Following the probe 12 people were charged with a slew of offences and investigators say over $350,000 of insurance fraud was prevented. (CBC, November 29, 2023)