- Authorities recovered 306 stolen vehicles from major ports.
- Freight forwarding firms were key to dismantling the network.
- Twenty suspects face 134 charges tied to organized crime.
It’s no secret that stolen cars are a huge problem worldwide. Canada has had its fair share of that issue but now, authorities there say they’ve scored a major win.
Four stolen vehicles recovered in 2023 ended up being the spark for something much bigger: a sweeping crackdown on organized auto theft that ultimately led to the recovery of over 300 vehicles. Altogether, the cars were valued at around $25 million, and that figure doesn’t include what else police turned up during the operation.
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This operation ended up with the name Project CHICKADEE, and it combined several agencies led by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Things kicked off in August of 2023 when police found four cars destined for export in Toronto. Evidence quickly pointed toward a freight forwarding operation as a critical link.
Investigators then examined shipping containers at major ports in Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax. That led to disrupted shipments before stolen vehicles could end up outside of the nation.
According to authorities, the criminal network had international reach and links to transnational organized crime groups. Search warrants executed in October and November 2025 spanned dozens of residential and industrial locations across Ontario and Québec.
What Else Did Police Find?
Seized items included firearms, re-VINed vehicles, forklifts, tractor-trailer cabs, key programmers, license plates, electronic devices, and more than $220,000 CAD combined. Authorities didn’t define any particular cars in the bust. They did say that the cars were bound for Africa and the Middle East.
Financial intelligence from FINTRAC played a key role, and the OPP’s Asset Forfeiture Unit is now pursuing proceeds-of-crime investigations. In total, 20 individuals face 134 charges under the Criminal Code, Customs Act, and Cannabis Act.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique called the operation “a significant victory against organized auto theft in Ontario,” adding that it sends “a clear message: Ontario will not be a source for criminal profit.”
No doubt, this bust will slow some of the flow that we’ve reported on in the past. Now, the question is whether or not Canadian authorities can continue this streak of success or if criminals will learn from the bust and change their tactics.