OPP, Canadian border officials bust $25M auto theft ring

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have announced the dismantling of a criminal organization accused of trafficking stolen vehicles overseas, and the recovery of more than 300 vehicles valued at approximately $25 million.

The joint-forces investigation, dubbed Project Chickadee, targeted a network of individuals and businesses allegedly tied to organized crime groups with reach across Canada and abroad. Authorities say the operation disrupted a scheme that used freight forwarding companies, fraudulent documentation, and registered businesses to ship stolen vehicles to foreign markets, including the Middle East and West Africa.

Project Chickadee was launched in August 2023, after officers recovered four stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Evidence quickly pointed to freight forwarding companies and drivers, prompting a deeper probe into the operation’s international scope.

On Oct. 16, 2025, police executed search warrants in Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, and Etobicoke. Officers seized $30,000 in Canadian currency, three vehicles (including one re-VINed), key programmers, and Ontario licence plates. One suspect was arrested and charged with four auto-theft-related offences; two others fled but were later apprehended.

On Nov. 27, 2025, warrants were executed at 23 residential and industrial locations and 13 vehicles across the GTA and surrounding regions, including Brampton, Scarborough, Waterloo, Bolton, Oshawa, Oakville, Mississauga, Innisfil, Toronto, and Milton, as well as one location in Saint-Eustache, Qué.

Authorities say the investigation led to the recovery and seizure of:

• 306 stolen vehicles valued at $25 million
• Three firearms
• Numerous provincial licence plates
• On-board diagnostic readers, key fobs, and assorted vehicle keys
• Vehicle shipping documentation
• Two forklifts and two tractor-trailer cabs
• More than $190,000 CAD and $32,000 USD
• Electronic devices, including cell phones, laptops, and hard drives

In total, 20 individuals have been arrested and charged with 134 offences.

The accused include owners and operators of registered freight forwarding businesses, as well as individuals allegedly involved in vehicle thefts across Ontario.

Photos

Photos courtesy of the OPP.