GTA car theft rampage; Halton police arrest eight gang

 

 

Halton police have arrested eight members of a fraud ring that targets luxury cars parked outside hotels in the Greater Toronto Area. The gang includes a woman. Before being shipped, the stolen cars are taken to nearby 'cool off zones' to avoid detection by police. This is where the gang ships the cars overseas. Police are investigating after noticing an increase in thefts from hotel lots near major highways in Oakville and Burlington.

The operation, dubbed 'Project Mulligan,' saw Toyota and Lexus SUVs and Dodge and Toyota pickup trucks stolen. The thieves, who break into the vehicle by breaking the window, use the device to reprogram the key fob. The GPS system is disabled to prevent police from tracking the vehicle. The vehicles are then moved to a cool-off zone and loaded into shipping containers for shipment overseas. Most of the vehicles are shipped overseas through the Port of Montreal, said Jeff Dillon, a senior police officer. He said 20 hotel lots where the stolen vehicles were parked have been identified.

Police said the gang is believed to have stolen about 75 vehicles since September. Police have recovered 18 of these. Two were found in shipping containers at the Port of Montreal, the investigation team said. Police said they have filed about 90 charges against the suspects.