Niagara “Criminal Network” Busted!
In 2024, auto thefts decreased by nearly 20% nationwide, with a 17% decline reported in the first half of the year compared to the same period in the previous year. However, the situation remains serious, with a car stolen every six minutes, largely attributed to organized crime. The cost of insurance claims for stolen vehicles reached a record $1.5 billion in 2023, highlighting the ongoing crisis.
In contrast, the situation in the Niagara Region has been particularly unsafe for car owners. The region experienced a significant surge in auto thefts, with a reported increase of nearly 34%. This rise has been attributed to various factors, including supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, which created opportunities for profit from the sale of stolen vehicles in domestic and international black markets.
The Niagara Region Police Service has actively investigated these crimes and implemented strategies to combat the issue, such as providing Faraday bags to residents to help prevent interference from car and key fob signals.
Recently, police in the Niagara Region arrested 30 individuals and seized a quantity of drugs, weapons, cash, and stolen vehicles following a months-long joint forces investigation into what they describe as a “criminal network” operating across local, provincial, and international jurisdictions.
The investigation, dubbed “Project Road King,” began in August 2024 after police received information about drug trafficking in the Niagara Region. By April of this year, the scope of the investigation expanded significantly, prompting assistance from other police forces in the Greater Toronto Area, the RCMP, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
On September 9, police executed a dozen search warrants across Niagara, Hamilton, and Toronto. Investigators report that a total of 38 stolen vehicles, valued at over $3.3 million, have been recovered. Some vehicles were intercepted at shipping points, already secured in containers and destined for international export to places such as Nigeria and Vietnam. Others had altered vehicle identification numbers, making it difficult to determine their true identities.
Additionally, police seized a substantial quantity of other illicit goods as part of the investigation, including 12.25 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of $245,000 and 20 firearms.
The stolen vehicles were taken from areas including Hamilton, Halton Region, Peel Region, York Region, Toronto, Simcoe, and Guelph.
“Organized crime groups do not respect municipal, provincial, or even international boundaries,” said Niagara Police Chief Bill Fordy during a news conference. “Collaboration is not optional in modern policing; it’s essential.”
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