Canadian police have recovered 40 stolen vehicles worth more than $3 million CAD after an investigation that traced shipments from Ontario to ports across several countries, including Ghana. The case has drawn attention to the scale of vehicle theft operations linked to shipping networks and overseas markets.
According to reporting from Road & Track, the operation was carried out under an initiative known as Project Starter. The investigation was led by the Barrie Police Service and South Simcoe Police Service in Ontario.
Police said the investigation lasted three months and focused on vehicles reported stolen across Ontario. Officers tracked several of the vehicles to shipping containers located in the Greater Toronto Area and in Montreal before uncovering additional shipments that had already reached ports overseas.
Authorities said the recovered vehicles carried an estimated value of more than $2.17 million USD. Images released by police showed rows of recovered SUVs, pickup trucks, and luxury vehicles packed inside containers and storage facilities.
Police Trace Stolen Vehicles Across Multiple Countries
Investigators said 19 stolen vehicles were located inside shipping containers in Canada. Those containers were found in Montreal and in the Toronto region before they could leave the country.
Police later discovered that another 21 vehicles had already been shipped overseas. Authorities tracked those vehicles to ports in countries including the Bahamas, Spain, and Ghana.
The international scope of the investigation highlighted the role of shipping ports in vehicle theft cases involving organized networks. Police said the stolen vehicles had been moved through transport channels that connected local theft operations in Ontario to buyers and receivers in foreign markets.
The investigation led officers to several vehicle types that are commonly targeted in theft cases across Canada. Police recovered Honda CR-V crossovers, Ford F-150 pickup trucks, Toyota Tundras, Lexus RX SUVs, Acura SUVs, and Ram trucks.
One Lamborghini was also recovered during the operation. Images shared by police showed the luxury vehicle parked alongside several SUVs and trucks inside a warehouse.
Arrest Made After Three-Month Investigation
Authorities said a 31-year-old man was arrested on April 24 in connection with the investigation. Police did not release the suspect’s identity at the time of the announcement.
The suspect faces charges including trafficking property obtained by crime and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Police have not announced whether additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
Barrie Police said all of the recovered vehicles had originally been reported stolen from different parts of Ontario. Investigators worked with shipping and border agencies during the operation to identify and locate the missing vehicles before and after export.
Law enforcement agencies in Canada have spent the past several years dealing with increases in vehicle theft cases involving SUVs and pickup trucks. Many of those vehicles are shipped overseas through ports in Eastern Canada before authorities can intercept them.
Canadian officials have previously stated that organized theft groups target vehicles with high resale demand in international markets. Pickup trucks, SUVs, and luxury vehicles are often among the most sought-after models.
Insurance Companies To Handle Vehicle Returns
Police said the recovered vehicles will now be transferred to insurance companies. Those companies will oversee the process of returning the vehicles to Canada and reconnecting them with owners.
Authorities also said vehicle owners are being notified that their vehicles have been located. Some of the recovered vehicles were found before leaving Canada, while others traveled thousands of miles before being intercepted overseas.
The case has drawn attention because of the number of vehicles recovered and the range of countries connected to the shipments. It also exposed how theft operations can move stolen vehicles across borders through shipping containers before owners realize where the vehicles have gone.
The original report was published by Road & Track using information and images released by the Barrie Police Service and South Simcoe Police Service in Ontario.