5 high-end vehicles stolen from Kitchener recovered by police
A total of 20 high-end vehicles were recovered as part of the joint investigation
Waterloo regional police have helped recover 20 high-end vehicles that were stolen in Kitchener and Hamilton.
Of the 20 vehicles recovered, five were originally stolen from Kitchener's Doon South and Brigadoon neighbourhoods between Dec. 28 and 29. The rest were stolen from other cities including in Peel Region, Hamilton and Toronto.
The vehicles were found by officers at a rural address in the Mount Hope area of Hamilton on Dec. 30. Police say they also confiscated a forklift and a vehicle loading ramp as part of the investigation.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service worked with members of the Hamilton Police Service as part of the joint investigation.
WRPS Supt. Shaena Morris says the stolen vehicles are high-end Toyotas, Lexuses and Jeeps that are estimated to be worth a combined $1.4 million. All the vehicles were stolen using reprogramming technology.
"It is our belief these vehicles were stolen to be shipped overseas and trafficked for profit," Morris said during a press conference at WRPS headquaters in Cambridge Tuesday morning.
Two men, a 63-year-old from Hamilton and a 27-year-old from Bolton, have been charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 as part of the investigation.
Tracking device helped locate vehicles: Police
WRPS says in 2024, officers investigated 142 separate vehicle reprogramming thefts, many with links to organized crime. That's an 87 per cent increase from the number of vehicle reprogramming thefts WRPS says it investigated in 2023.
Morris says as part of this investigation, a third-party tracking device installed by one of the vehicle owners "was very beneficial."
"We're suggesting the public invest in using those," Morris said.
"Using and installing any type of wired camera system outside of the home is very helpful. We know that these suspects can jam wireless cameras, so certainly a wired camera is the most productive for you. Blocking access to the onboard diagnostic centre is useful. Using a bag that prevents the radio frequency channels from being accessed is helpful."
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