Hamilton Police have charged eight people with 55 collective charges after a year-long investigation into an auto theft ring alleged to be operating in Hamilton and southern Ontario.
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The probe, dubbed Project Polar Bear, was conducted in partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario and Equite Association.
Over the course of the investigation, police were able to recover nearly 88% of the stolen vehicles and return them to their owners, with more than 200 vehicles valued at approximately $15 million recovered.
Cops allege this organized criminal activity targeted high-end vehicles, distributing the stolen cars both nationally and internationally, with crews stealing vehicles at night and loading them into shipping containers.
Police allege most were shipped to Montreal and destined for Ghana, Iraq, or the United Arab Emirates or nationally, with the vehicles being re-vinned and circulated back into the domestic market.
The investigation is ongoing regarding the buyers’ culpability in acquiring those vehicles.
From Feb.14-18, Hamilton Police seized an additional 14 vehicles and executed nine search warrants at private residences and businesses.
In addition to the vehicles seized, police recovered half a kilogram of cocaine, several kilograms of psilocibyn, two loaded handguns, $35,000 in proceeds of crime, as well as several devices designed to steal key fob signals, reprogram car key fobs, and alter vehicle identification numbers.
Bashdar Kader, 26, of Hamilton faces 10 mostly vehicle theft-related charges, including two of fail to comply with release order.
Dhergham Al-Hilo, 26, of Hamilton faces 10 charges mostly related to vehicle theft but also possession of a loaded prohibited firearm and possession for the purpose of trafficking in cocaine.
Faris Al-Hakim, 19, of Burlington faces eight mostly vehicle theft charges, including failing to comply with release order.
Didar Kader, 34, of Hamilton faces six charges mainly related to vehicle theft, including possession for the purpose of trafficking psilocybin.
Hawker Manmi, 43, of Niagara Falls faces five vehicle theft-related charges.
Hasanin Mosa, 26, of Haldimand, faces six vehicle theft and firearms-related charges.
A Hamilton woman, 25, faces two charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) and possessing counterfeit money.
Still wanted on eight vehicle-theft related charges is Hasan Sulaiman, 19, of Hamilton.
Cops say about half of the vehicles recovered were stolen from Hamilton, while the rest of the vehicles were taken from across the GTA.
Anyone with information that can assist with the investigation into this crime should contact Det. Emerson Heaslip at [email protected].
To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at www.crimestoppershamilton.com.
According to Equite Association, more than 57,000 private passenger vehicles were stolen in Canada last year, down from over 70,000 in 2023 and in Hamilton 1,612 vehicles were stolen last year.