Auto theft ring stole vehicles parked outside GTA hotels and drove them to ‘cool off’ zones: police

Eight suspects arrested in connection with an auto theft investigation in Halton Region are shown. (Halton Regional Police Service)

Halton police have arrested eight suspects in connection with an auto theft ring that was allegedly targeting high-end vehicles parked outside GTA hotels and then driving them to nearby “cool off” zones to ensure they weren’t being traced before shipping them overseas.

An investigation, dubbed ‘Project Mulligan’ began in the fall after police noted an increase in thefts from hotel lots near main highways in Oakville and Burlington.

Police say that the auto thieves were “casing hotel lots” during the overnight hours and targeting Toyota and Lexus SUVs as well as Dodge and Toyota pickup trucks.

“The thieves would smash a window to access the vehicle and then they would access the onboard diagnostic system where they would use an illegal device to reprogram a key fob. Once stolen the vehicles’ GPS system would be disabled in hopes of evading police and the vehicle would be taken to an area to cool off over a period of time before being loaded into shipping containers and transported to the Port of Montreal to be shipped overseas,” Const. Jeff Dillon said.

Dillon said that police were ultimately able to identify 20 hotel lots where vehicles were stolen from.

He said that investigators also identified nearby “cooling off areas” and locations where the vehicles were being temporarily stored following their theft.

He said that, in turn, led police to a “crew of organized auto thieves.”

On Feb. 20, a series of 10 search warrants were executed on vehicles, storage facilities and residences across the GTA in connection to the investigation.

Police say that the eight suspects taken into custody are facing a combined 90 charges.

Three of those suspects were on various forms of release for similar criminal offences at the time, police said.

The authorities say that investigators believe the auto theft ring is responsible for more than 75 vehicle thefts since September.

Police have recovered 18 of those stolen vehicles so far, including two that were found inside shipping containers in the Port of Montreal.

In a news release, Supt. Dave Stewart of Regional Investigative Services said that the investigation is an “example of our commitment to combatting these organized criminal elements and holding those responsible accountable.”

Police say that the investigation into the auto theft ring is continuing and “additional charges may be pending.”

For a full list of the suspects and the charges they are facing follow this link.