11 Quebec residents charged in connection with auto thefts in Durham Region
Police say 4 suspects outstanding along with 18 vehicles
Eleven people from Quebec have been arrested in connection with an auto theft investigation in Durham Region that began at the start of this year, police say.
Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira told reporters on Thursday that the 11, including two young offenders, on March 13 were arrested by police acting on search warrants in Toronto.
The 11 were charged with more than 160 offences. Twenty vehicles have been recovered, he said.
Police said the suspects travelled to Durham Region, where they stole vehicles and transported them to Quebec.
Eight of the 11 are facing charges of failure to comply, which means they were previously arrested and released and have failed to follow the restrictions placed on them. All 11 were held for bail hearings.
Four suspects are still outstanding and warrants have been issued for their arrest. Police said 18 vehicles associated with this "organized crime theft network" are also outstanding.
Police said they began investigating several thefts of vehicles throughout Durham Region starting in January. That's when investigators identified a large group of suspects operating an organized auto theft network out of two addresses in Toronto.
Moreira said vehicle crime is not just a property crime, but organized crime.
"It is a crime that has a substantial impact on the lives of our residents. It impedes their ability to go about their daily lives and threatens their sense of safety in their own homes. This is something we take very seriously," Moreira said.
"Our message is clear. Organized crime, including vehicle theft, will not be tolerated here," he added, urging anyone with information on the outstanding suspects to contact police.
As part their searches, police said they seized equipment used to steal vehicles, Canadian money, a quantity of cocaine and recovered two stolen vehicles.