Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

15 Indo-Canadians arrested in auto theft ring, stolen goods worth $9 mn recovered

Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jul, 2023 11:31 AM
  • 15 Indo-Canadians arrested in auto theft ring, stolen goods worth $9 mn recovered

Toronto, July 20 (IANS) Canadian police have arrested 15 Indian-origin men and laid 73 charges against them in an alleged organised auto theft ring, while recovering stolen goods worth more than 9 million dollars.

Dubbed Project Big Rig, a joint task force was formed in March this year to investigate a series of tractor trailer and cargo thefts in Peel and across the Greater Toronto Area, the Peels Regional Police said in a statement on Wednesday.

The investigation led to the recovery of 28 containers of stolen cargo valued at $6.99 million. An additional 28 stolen tractors and trailers valued at $2.25 million were recovered, taking the total value of recovery to $9.24 million.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said that estimated $1.8 billion worth of goods travel through the Peel region every day, making it the largest cargo hub in Canada.

"Often we are seeing that the proceeds of cargo theft and auto theft are used to fuel and fund organised crime... This often involves drugs and guns that are then directed towards our communities. The recovered cargo and vehicles through this investigation have removed millions of dollars out of the hands of organised crime,” Milinovich said.

Detective Mark Haywood from the Peel police commercial and auto crime unit said the suspects stole products by cutting through the fences of logistic facilities as well as stealing cargo loads left parked on the roadway. The stolen property was then sold through a variety of channels, including flea markets, other stores and people acquiring the products without knowing that it was stolen, The Toronto Star reported.

The 73 charges against 15 men, in the age groups of 23 to 58 years, include possession of property obtained by crime, trafficking in stolen goods, theft of motor vehicles, break and enter, breach of probation and failure to comply with release orders.

The suspects were identified as Balkar Singh, 42; Ajay Ajay, 26; Manjeet Padda, 40; Jagjeevan Singh, 25; Amandeep Baidwan, 41, Karamshand Singh, 58; Jasvinder Atwal, 45; Lakhvir Singh, 45; Jagpal Singh, 34; Upkaran Sandhu, 31; Sukhvinder Singh, 44; Kulvir Bains, 39; Banishidar Lalsaran, 39; Shobit Verma, 23, and Sukhninder Dhillon, 34.

Police said that more joint-force operations like Project Big Rig will be necessary to combat this type of organised crime, operating across jurisdictional lines.

"Project Big Rig is an example of our efforts to hold the individuals accountable who victimise our communities and residents. Let this be a reminder to all the criminal networks that we will continue to disrupt criminality of any kind," Milinovich said.

MORE National ARTICLES

New Chinese Canadian Museum opens its doors in historic Vancouver Chinatown building

New Chinese Canadian Museum opens its doors in historic Vancouver Chinatown building
The museum opens its permanent location in Chinatown's historic Wing Sang Building after more than six years of planning, starting with then-premier John Horgan mandating the province's Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to establish the institution.  

New Chinese Canadian Museum opens its doors in historic Vancouver Chinatown building

Family appeals to public on one-year anniversary of Port Coquitlam shooting

Family appeals to public on one-year anniversary of Port Coquitlam shooting
Around 1 A-M on June 30th last year, police responded to reports of gunshots. Officers arrived to find 37-year old Mehdi “Damian” Eslahian suffering from gunshot wounds outside a home in Port Coquitlam, and he died at the scene.

Family appeals to public on one-year anniversary of Port Coquitlam shooting

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report
British Columbia's independent forests watchdog is calling for the provincial government to make critical changes to how it manages forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. It comes as the largest wildfire in the province's history, the Donnie Creek wildfire, continues to burn out of control in the remote northeast.  

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report

BOC outlook survey

BOC outlook survey
The Bank of Canada's latest business outlook survey suggests businesses still anticipate larger-than-normal wage and price increases over the next year. The central bank reports expectations are shifting closer to what they were before the pandemic.

BOC outlook survey

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice
Fraser Health issued an overdose alert Thursday saying the juice that tested positive contained cannabis and suspected synthetic cannabinoids and was sold in refillable, unmarked and unbranded cartridges. It did not specify where the product was sold.

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park
Team manager Ryan Smith with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue says Esther Wang was located Thursday night and has gone home with her family after a medical assessment. RCMP say the 16-year-old from Langley, B.C., was part of a group of four people who were hiking in Golden Ears Provincial Park on Tuesday.

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park