Dozens of autos stolen from the Larger Toronto Space (GTA) value about $4 million had been recovered throughout a search of a chop store in Waterloo Area final month.
On Wednesday, Waterloo Regional Police (WRP) introduced the outcomes of their investigation, which started on Nov. 23 after they obtained a report of a stolen Toyota Tundra seen at a enterprise on Darrell Drive within the Township of North Dumfries.
Officers responded and arrested two males in consequence.
WRP mentioned officers additionally found a “substantial chop shop” the place they seen “a large number of vehicles in various states of dismantlement.”
A search warrant was later executed on the enterprise, ensuing within the restoration of the Tundra together with two newer Lexus autos, all of which had been reported stolen from the GTA.
Police mentioned a 3rd particular person was additionally taken in custody on the store.
In the long run, police salvaged 52 high-end autos, most of which had been stripped for elements. Police mentioned solely three had been intact. The recovered autos embody Toyota Highlanders, Tundras, Lexus RX350s, Dodge Ram, and Ford F150s.
Waterloo stolen autos This mixture of images present the autos recovered from a chop store in Waterloo Area in November 2024. (Waterloo Regional Police)
“This was a large, sophisticated operation, and investigators believe this has been running since October of this year,” Supt. Shaena Morris of WRP’s Investigative Companies Division mentioned.
They think the elements had been being shipped abroad to produce the restore of different stolen autos.
Investigators additionally seized instruments value $80,000 and three forklifts.
“Over the past year, we have observed a rise in vehicle thefts related to organized crime and we continue to allocate dedicated resources to these investigations,” Morris mentioned.
Two males from Cambridge, ages 73 and 36, and a 29-year-old man from the Township of North Dumfries have been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.
Police proceed to ask anybody with info to contact investigators at 519-570-9777, ext. 8255, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
