Toronto Police arrested seven people as part of a cross-border investigation into the theft of 28 high-end luxury vehicles.
The results of Project Taurus’ eight-month-long ongoing investigation were announced Tuesday.
“Victims of these car-jackings had their cars forcibly taken from them. Many at their homes in 32 division and in some cases, victims were followed from their homes and attacked elsewhere” said Inspector Shannon Dawson.
Police say the suspects behind these robberies used distraction tactics such as intentionally colliding with the victims’ vehicles. In other instances, suspects would swarm victims as they were heading towards or away from their vehicles.
Of the 28 automobiles stolen, 19 were found. Most of them were recovered soon after the robberies. The car models targetted include:
- Lamborghinis
- Rolls Royces
- McLarens
- Bentleys
- Porches
- Mercedes Benz
“There was a level of sophistication in this group, this group did not operate alone,” said Inspector Richard Harris from hold up squad.
The suspects currently face a total of 40 charges. More charges are anticipated to follow as the investigation continues.
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for one outstanding suspect, Trey Seaton. Project Taurus requested assistance from the public for his whereabouts.
“We couldn’t have done this investigation without the help of other police services,” said Harris. “The success of Project Taurus is really a result of the collaborative efforts amongst divisional police, detective operations, specialized units such as emergency task force.”
Police say they also worked with car manufacturers, insurance companies, and all levels of the government.
Most of the car robberies took place in the northern area of Toronto and York region, “on Yonge St., north of Sheppard,” said Caroline De Kloet, Toronto Police media relations officer.
“It was further alleged that once it was stolen that they removed the GPS capabilities,” said De Kloet.
Police are reminding car owners to have increased awareness of their surroundings, particularly during early mornings and late nights – which are popular car-jacking timeframes.
They also recommend owners of high-end cars consider investing in security cameras.
Police in Peel and Halton are collaborating on their own car theft investigation. So far, Project High 5 has recovered over 200 vehicles and detained 24 suspects.