Three more people were arrested after police said they found 52-stolen vehicles in North Dumfries.
Investigators discovered the vehicles at a property on Darrell Drive. They believe the vehicles were being disassembled in what is commonly referred to as a ‘chop shop.’
Police announced three more men were arrested on Wednesday, almost three months after the initial arrests.
A 37-year-old man from Kitchener, a 41-year-old man from Hamilton and a 49-year-old man from Hamilton were charged with committing offences for the benefit of a criminal organization, possession of stolen property over $5,000 and trafficking stolen property over $5,000.
Chop shop discovery
WRPS officers were called on Nov. 23, 2024 about a Toyota Tundra that had been stolen from the Greater Toronto Area. They were told the vehicle could be found at a business on Darrell Drive.
Officers arrested two men at the property.
Investigators said they later discovered a “substantial chop shop” on Darrell Drive.
During the investigation, they found the stolen Toyota Tundra and two newer Lexus vehicles that had also been reported as stolen from the GTA.
All told, 52 high-end vehicles were recovered, including three vehicles that had not yet been stripped for parts. The majority of the vehicles were known targets for reprogramming thefts, including Toyota Highlanders, Toyota Tundras, Lexus RX350s, Dodge Rams and Ford F150s.
The total value of the vehicles was estimated at $4 million. An additional $80,000 worth of tools and three forklifts were also seized.
Investigators believe the chop shop had been running since October and the parts were being shipped overseas to repair other stolen vehicles.
WRPS said they worked with members of the Équité Association, an independent organization supporting Canadian insurers to fight fraud, to execute the search warrant at the North Dumfries property.
