Two men face charges after 20 stolen high-end vehicles – valued at $1.4 million – were recovered from a rural area of Hamilton.
Waterloo Regional Police say their Break, Enter and Vehicle Theft (BEVT) team began investigating after five Toyota and Lexus vehicles were stolen using reprogramming technology from residential driveways in Kitchener between Dec. 28 and 29.
BEVT investigators, with assistance from Hamilton Police Service’s Break and Enter, Auto Theft, and Robbery (BEAR) Branch, completed a search warrant at a rural property in the Mount Hope area of Hamilton and located multiple stolen vehicles on Dec. 30.
“In total, 20 stolen high-end vehicles were located, including 13 that had been reported stolen from Peel, Toronto, York, Hamilton and Waterloo,” Supt. Shaena Morris said. “It is our belief these vehicles were stolen to be shipped overseas and trafficked for profit.”
Toyotas, Lexuses and Jeeps were among the vehicles recovered.
Cops also seized a forklift and vehicle loading ramp as offence-related property.
Two suspected were identified and arrested.
A 63-year-old Hamilton man and a 27-year-old Bolton man are charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000. Their names were not released.
Morris said the “surge in vehicle thefts linked to organized crime” is a “growing and concerning trend across Ontario and Canada.”
“As these incidents persist, we will continue to work closely with the community and our policing partners across Ontario to enhance enforcement and proactive initiatives to combat this crime.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777, ext. 8255, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-847.
STATISTICS
– In 2023, WRPS’ Break, Enter, and Vehicle Theft (BEVT) unit investigated 76 reprogramming thefts, many with links to organized crime. In 2024, that number rose to 142, an increase of 87%.
– Another 41 attempted reprogramming thefts are also being investigated, all of which included significant damage to the targeted vehicles as the thieves attempted to reprogram them.
– The five-year average for stolen vehicles (from 2019-2023) is 938. This is compared to 1,084 stolen vehicles reported in 2023 and 1,130 from January to November 2024.