Canadian authorities have dismantled a sophisticated transnational vehicle theft and export syndicate after a two-year investigation that led to the recovery of 306 stolen vehicles valued at about 25 million Canadian dollars. Many of the vehicles were bound for markets in West Africa and the Middle East.

The operation, dubbed Project CHICKADEE, was led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) through its Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team, working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and several other law enforcement agencies.

Investigators say the probe uncovered a highly organised criminal enterprise that extended well beyond street-level car theft. The network involved freight forwarders, drivers, falsified shipping documents and complex international export routes.

Investigation began in 2023

Project CHICKADEE was launched in August 2023 after police recovered four stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area. While the initial recovery appeared routine, further checks revealed links to a broader export operation.

Investigators found that stolen vehicles were being re-identified using altered Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs). These vehicles were matched with forged documents and packed into shipping containers for export through major Canadian ports.

As intelligence developed, authorities uncovered links to transnational organised crime groups, suggesting Ontario had become a key supply hub in a global auto theft network.

Interception at ports nationwide

As the investigation widened, officers from the OPP PATT Team, the Organised Crime Enforcement Bureau and CBSA intelligence units began intercepting containers both in transit and at major ports in Montréal, Vancouver and Halifax.

Police said intervention at ports became critical, as recovery of stolen vehicles becomes extremely difficult once they leave Canada.

Several agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Halton Regional Police and the Équité Association, supported the operation, underscoring the scale and complexity of the criminal network.

Raids and seizures

The first major enforcement action occurred on October 16, 2025, when police executed search warrants in Toronto, Vaughan, Woodbridge and Etobicoke. Items seized included cash, a re-VINed vehicle, electronic key programmers and licence plates. One suspect was arrested, while two others fled but were later captured.

A second, larger operation followed on November 27. Police searched 23 residential and industrial locations and seized 13 vehicles across communities, including Brampton, Scarborough, Waterloo, Milton and Saint-Eustache in Québec.

Tactical units, emergency response teams, canine units and intelligence officers were deployed during what police described as a highly coordinated, multi-agency effort.

Scope of the network revealed

By the conclusion of Project CHICKADEE, authorities reported the seizure of:

• 306 stolen vehicles recovered in Canada
• Three firearms
• Hundreds of licence plates, keys and key fobs
• Fraudulent shipping and export documents
• Forklifts and tractor-trailer cabs used in vehicle logistics
• Over 190,000 Canadian dollars and 32,000 US dollars in cash
• Mobile phones, computers, hard drives and financial records

Arrests and charges

In total, 20 suspects were arrested and charged with 134 offences under Canada’s Criminal Code, the Customs Act and the Cannabis Act.

Among those charged is Bismark Owusu-Ansah, a 64-year-old Ghanaian national living in Brampton, Ontario. He faces five charges, including conspiracy to traffic stolen property, exporting property obtained through crime and possession of stolen property valued above 5,000 Canadian dollars.

Authorities stressed that all accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Financial intelligence key to operation

Police said financial intelligence from FINTRAC, Canada’s financial transactions watchdog, was crucial in tracing the proceeds of crime. The OPP’s Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit has also begun moves to seize assets believed to be linked to the syndicate.

Police warn of wider impact

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said auto theft has far-reaching consequences.

“Auto theft is not a victimless crime. It fuels organised crime, violence and insecurity in our communities,” he said.

Another senior officer, Bryan Gast, noted that vehicle theft costs Canada more than one billion Canadian dollars each year, with proceeds often reinvested into illegal firearms, drugs and other criminal activity.

Shift in policing approach

Canadian law enforcement officials say Project CHICKADEE reflects a shift toward dismantling the entire criminal supply chain, from theft and falsified documentation to shipping and international export.

They say the operation sends a clear message that Canada will no longer serve as a source market for international vehicle theft syndicates.