$33M worth of stolen vehicles recovered by Peel police as part of Project Odyssey

Peel Regional Police officers say 369 vehicles worth $33.2 million have been recovered and hundreds of charges have been laid as part of an operation dubbed Project Odyssey.

“This is a highly orchestrated criminal operation,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said during a news conference Monday morning.

“This has been Peel Regional Police’s most significant auto theft investigation to date.”

Officers said the investigation started in October.

They said investigators determined the stolen vehicles were destined for the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Officers said 114 of the 369 vehicles were found at the Port of Montreal and were transported by rail from intermodal terminals in the Greater Toronto Area or by transport trucks along Highway 401. The rest of the vehicles were found in Peel Region.

In total, 16 people were arrested and investigators have arrest warrants for 10 others. All of the suspects are collectively face charges for 322 Criminal Code of Canada offences.

Officials said 14 of the 26 suspects facing charges were out on bail or another type of release from the courts after being previously charged in other auto theft-related incidents.

More to come.