A man has been charged with 15 offenses after 23 stolen cars were found.
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A 30-year-old man faces 15 charges after several police agencies and other organizations teamed up to track down and recover 23 stolen vehicles.
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Hamilton police said its Breaking and Entering, Auto Theft and Robbery (BEAR) unit, in partnership with the Équité Association, the Ministry of Transport, the Ontario Automotive Industry Council and neighboring police agencies, conducted an extensive auto theft investigation called Project Big Cat.
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During the investigation, police discovered that Hamilton-based dealership Bengal Auto was allegedly involved in the trade of stolen vehicles for several years.
“The stolen vehicles were fraudulently registered through the dealership, with vehicle identification numbers (VINs) cloned or altered to appear legitimate,” police said in a press release issued Friday.
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Members of the BEAR unit, along with partner agencies, executed multiple search warrants in the Hamilton area on Thursday.
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Investigators recovered more than 36 stolen vehicles valued at approximately $2.7 million.
Police said 23 vehicles were successfully recovered by police agencies across the province.
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The defendant, whose name has not been released, faces charges of trafficking in property obtained by crime, fraud, use and production of false documents, trafficking in property obtained by crime, possession of property obtained by crime, and altering, destroying or removing a vehicle identification number.
Police urge residents to do their research to avoid becoming a victim when buying or selling a vehicle. Sites recommended by police include: omvic.ca, ontario.caAnd equiteassociation.com.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-546-3849 or 905-546-2991 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or . crimestoppershamilton.com.
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