Close X
Thursday, November 14, 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

B.C. to require licence for asbestos abatement contractors by 2024

B.C. to require licence for asbestos abatement contractors by 2024
The Labour Ministry says workers must be licensed by Jan. 1. This comes following changes to the Workers Compensation Act last year, requiring that contractors who remove the cancer-causing material use only trained and certified workers.   

B.C. to require licence for asbestos abatement contractors by 2024

Shots fired in Port Coquitlam

Shots fired in Port Coquitlam
On Tuesday, at 1:44 am, Coquitlam RCMP received multiple reports of shots being fired in the 2000-block of Shaughnessy Place, Port Coquitlam. Officers immediately responded and located the victim residence. No one was physically injured during the incident. 

Shots fired in Port Coquitlam

BC port strike vote

BC port strike vote
Both the union and the Maritime Employers Association -- which represents 49 private-sector employers at more than 30 B-C ports -- have agreed that June 24th is the earliest any job action could occur.

BC port strike vote

Eyes on the weather as fierce wildfire rages, forces evacuations in northeastern B.C.

Eyes on the weather as fierce wildfire rages, forces evacuations in northeastern B.C.
The extreme fire activity prompted the District of Tumbler Ridge to skip an evacuation alert Thursday and jump right to an order requiring all 2,400 residents to get out immediately and seek refuge in Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.  

Eyes on the weather as fierce wildfire rages, forces evacuations in northeastern B.C.

'These are the rules': Canada to deport Sikh family to India

'These are the rules': Canada to deport Sikh family to India
Hardeep Singh Chahal, his pregnant wife Kamaldeep Kaur and their three-year-old daughter, who live in Penticton, were given deportation orders last month for reasons withheld for privacy reasons, the Houston Today newspaper reported.

'These are the rules': Canada to deport Sikh family to India

Canada invites 4,800 candidates for Express Entry draw in June

Canada invites 4,800 candidates for Express Entry draw in June
The 14th draw of the country's flagship economic immigration management system on Thursday follows the most recent draw on May 24 in which 4,800 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 488 were invited.

Canada invites 4,800 candidates for Express Entry draw in June