Canada Breaks Major Auto Theft Ring, Recovers 306 Stolen Vehicles Bound for West Africa and Middle East

Canadian authorities have dismantled a highly coordinated international vehicle theft and export syndicate following a two-year investigation that resulted in the recovery of 306 stolen vehicles worth an estimated 25 million Canadian dollars. Many of the vehicles were destined for markets in West Africa and the Middle East.

The operation, known as Project CHICKADEE, was spearheaded by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) through its Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team, in close collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and multiple domestic and federal law enforcement partners.

Investigators revealed that the criminal operation went far beyond conventional car theft. The network involved freight forwarders, transport drivers, falsified shipping paperwork and sophisticated international export channels, indicating a deeply entrenched transnational organised crime structure.

Investigation Triggered in 2023

Project CHICKADEE began in August 2023 after four stolen vehicles were recovered in the Greater Toronto Area. What initially appeared to be a routine case quickly exposed a much wider criminal pipeline focused on exporting stolen vehicles overseas.

Authorities discovered that vehicles were being re-identified using tampered Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), matched with forged documentation and loaded into shipping containers before being transported through major Canadian ports.

As intelligence expanded, investigators identified links to international organised crime groups, establishing Ontario as a critical supply point in a global auto theft trade.

Port Interceptions Nationwide

As the operation intensified, the OPP, CBSA intelligence units and the Organised Crime Enforcement Bureau began intercepting suspect shipping containers at ports in Montréal, Vancouver and Halifax, as well as during inland transit.

Police noted that once stolen vehicles leave Canada, recovery becomes extremely difficult, making port-level intervention a central strategy.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Halton Regional Police and the Équité Association were among several agencies that supported the investigation, highlighting its scale and complexity.

Coordinated Raids and Seizures

The first major enforcement phase took place on October 16, 2025, when search warrants were executed in Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge and Etobicoke. Seized items included large sums of cash, a re-VINed vehicle, electronic key programming devices and licence plates. One suspect was arrested at the time, while two others initially fled but were later apprehended.

A second and larger crackdown followed on November 27, with police searching 23 residential and industrial locations across Ontario and Québec. Thirteen vehicles were seized in communities including Brampton, Scarborough, Waterloo, Milton and Saint-Eustache.

The operation involved tactical units, emergency response teams, canine units and intelligence officers in what police described as a highly synchronised multi-agency action.

Full Scale of the Network

By the conclusion of Project CHICKADEE, authorities confirmed the seizure of:

306 stolen vehicles recovered in Canada

Three firearms

Hundreds of licence plates, vehicle keys and key fobs

Forged shipping and export documents

Forklifts and tractor-trailer cabs used in logistics

Over CAD 190,000 and USD 32,000 in cash

Mobile phones, computers, hard drives and financial records

Arrests and Charges

A total of 20 suspects were arrested and charged with 134 offences under the Criminal Code, the Customs Act and the Cannabis Act.

Among those charged is Bismark Owusu-Ansah, a 64-year-old Ghanaian national residing in Brampton, Ontario. He faces five charges, including conspiracy to traffic stolen property, exporting proceeds of crime and possession of stolen property valued above CAD 5,000.

Police emphasised that all accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Financial Intelligence Breakthrough

Authorities credited financial intelligence from FINTRAC, Canada’s financial transactions monitoring agency, as a critical factor in tracing the flow of criminal proceeds. The OPP’s Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit has since begun processes to seize assets believed to be connected to the syndicate.

Police Warn of Broader Impact

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique stressed that vehicle theft has far-reaching consequences.

“Auto theft is not a victimless crime. It fuels organised crime, violence and insecurity in our communities,” he said.

Another senior officer, Bryan Gast, noted that auto theft costs Canada more than one billion Canadian dollars annually, with proceeds often reinvested into firearms trafficking, drug networks and other illicit activities.

New Policing Strategy

Law enforcement officials say Project CHICKADEE reflects a strategic shift toward dismantling the entire criminal supply chain, from theft and document fraud to shipping and international export.

They say the operation sends a strong signal that Canada will no longer serve as a source country for global vehicle theft syndicates.