Mounties seize stolen vehicles headed to Africa

Early this morning, police officers of the RCMP, assisted by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), carried out a major operation to dismantle a vehicle theft and export ring. Two searches were conducted in Montréal and six individuals were arrested in the Montréal and Montérégie regions. In the course of the investigation, 23 vehicles were recovered including luxury vehicles, personal watercrafts, a trailer and heavy machinery, for a total value of more than one million dollars. Based on information gathered during the investigation, the stolen vehicles were shipped to the Arab Emirates and Congo from the Port of Montréal.

The investigation, conducted by the National Port Enforcement Team (NPET), in co-operation with the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, was launched in April 2010 after anomalies in containers for export were observed. The exportation of stolen vehicles is a growing concern for the authorities who have joined forces to combat this scourge.

Charges of conspiracy and possession of property obtained by crime were filed against four of the six individuals: Shahab Bakhshi, 22, Jacques Lefebvre, 59, Troy Cools-Lartigue, 22, and Kary Shaw, 39. They are scheduled to appear in court in Montréal tomorrow.