Police say they believe they have solved a “ten-year crime spree” with the arrest of nine people alleged to be involved in a criminal organization that broke into homes in affluent neighbourhoods, stole keys to high-end vehicles and then sold those vehicles on the black market outside of Canada.
The first eight suspects were arrested Thursday morning as police executed search warrants in Toronto, York and Niagara regions and the ninth suspect turned himself into police at 32 Division at around 2 a.m.
The suspects are facing more than 150 charges, including commission of an offence in a criminal organization, trafficking in stolen goods, theft of a motor vehicle and break and enter.
“We believe that we have not only solved a ten-year crime spree but are preventing hundreds of future victims from being targeted by these offenders,” Deputy Chief Peter Sloly told reporters Friday afternoon. “This was an incredibly sophisticated criminal organization that has frustrated the best policing efforts that this city and this province had to offer. We are extremely proud of the dogged determination of the entire team of officers that have finally brought these offenders to justice.”
Project Yellowbird as it was dubbed, began in December after a group of suspects committed a break and enter during the height of the city’s ice storm and then fled the scene with a stolen Porsche Carrera and Audi S4.
From there, police in 32, 53 and 21 divisions connected a number of similar break-ins and vehicle thefts to the same group of suspects.
In one particularly brazen incident, the suspects allegedly broke into a home, stole two car keys, used one of them to take a vehicle that was parked in the garage and then waited nearby for the homeowner to return with the other vehicle and drove off with it after he parked and went inside.
In another incident, the suspects ransacked a home and made off with more than $800,000 in vehicles and other property.
Explaining how the suspects could operate undetected for so long, Supt. Scott Gilbert noted that they took various steps to prevent being identified, including wearing gloves, masks and wiping down and vacuuming cars after stealing them.
Gilbert added that video surveillance ultimate played a "key role" in the apprehension of the suspects.
“They have been very well educated on how to try and defeat law enforcement and that is why it has been an ongoing effort to get to where we are today,” Gilbert told reporters.
A total of 23 vehicles with an estimated value of $2.3 million have been recovered so far and police say they believe additional stolen vehicles could still be out there.
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