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For years, vehicle theft in Ontario was largely dismissed as a high-volume but low-impact crime – an inconvenience for car owners and a costly headache for insurers.
Project CHICKADEE has radically rewritten that narrative, exposing auto theft as a central pillar of transnational organised crime and positioning Canada as a key supply hub in a global black-market vehicle trade.
What began as a routine recovery of four stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in August 2023 evolved into one of the most significant auto theft investigations in Canadian history. Led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team, in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and a network of domestic and international partners, the investigation dismantled a criminal enterprise that stole, laundered, and exported hundreds of vehicles overseas.
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Investigators quickly realised the initial thefts were not isolated incidents. The vehicles were being funnelled through a sophisticated logistics chain involving freight forwarders, registered businesses, and complicit drivers. Stolen SUVs and luxury vehicles highly sought after in overseas markets were re-VINed, disguised with falsified documentation, and packed into shipping containers bound for ports across the globe.
Intelligence revealed that many of the vehicles were destined for West Africa and the Middle East, where Canadian-made vehicles command premium resale values. Ontario, investigators concluded, had become a critical node in an international criminal supply chain.
As the probe widened, enforcement agencies began intercepting containers at major Canadian ports, including Montréal, Vancouver, and Halifax. Timing was critical. Once containers cleared Canadian borders, recovery was virtually impossible.
The investigation mobilised extensive national support, drawing in the OPP Organised Crime Enforcement Bureau, RCMP, Halton Regional Police Service, Équité Association, and CBSA Intelligence units. Financial intelligence from FINTRAC further helped trace the flow of illicit funds, reinforcing the conclusion that auto theft was financing broader criminal activity, including firearms trafficking and drug operations.
The first major enforcement action occurred on October 16, 2025, when police executed search warrants in Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge, and Etobicoke. Officers seized cash, a re-VINed vehicle, licence plates, and key programming devices – tools central to the theft operation. One suspect was arrested at the time, with two others fleeing before being apprehended later.
The decisive phase of Project CHICKADEE unfolded on November 27, 2025. In a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional operation, police searched 23 residential and industrial locations and 13 vehicles across Brampton, Scarborough, Vaughan, Milton, Waterloo, and Saint-Eustache in Québec. Tactical units, emergency response teams, canine units, and intelligence officers worked in synchrony, reflecting the scale and seriousness of the threat.
By the conclusion of the operation, the scope of the criminal enterprise was laid bare:
- 306 stolen vehicles recovered, valued at approximately $25 million CAD
- Three firearms seized
- Hundreds of licence plates, keys, and key fobs
- Fraudulent shipping and export documents
- Forklifts and tractor-trailer cabs used in logistics
- Over $190,000 CAD and $32,000 USD in cash seized
- Phones, laptops, hard drives, and financial records confiscated
In total, 20 individuals were arrested and charged with 134 offences under the Criminal Code, Customs Act, and Cannabis Act.
Among the accused is Bismark Owusu-Ansah, 64, of Brampton, a Ghanaian national facing multiple serious charges, including conspiracy to traffic stolen property, exporting property obtained by crime, and possession of stolen property exceeding $5,000.
The OPP’s Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit has since moved to seize proceeds linked to the crimes, aiming to cripple the financial foundations of the network.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique was unequivocal in his assessment: auto theft is far from a victimless crime. “It fuels organised crime, violence, and community insecurity,” he said, noting that the financial proceeds often bankroll other criminal activities.
Deputy Commissioner Bryan Gast added that vehicle theft costs Canada more than $1 billion annually, with losses cascading far beyond insurance claims into public safety and national security concerns.
Project CHICKADEE represents more than a successful takedown; it signals a strategic shift. By targeting the entire criminal pipeline, from theft and document fraud to shipping and financial laundering, law enforcement has sent a clear message that Canada will no longer serve as a reliable source market for global auto theft syndicates.
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