York Regional Police (YRP) has announced the details of a month-long investigation into an auto crime ring operating throughout the GTA that saw millions of dollars worth of vehicles being stolen straight from people's driveways, all in a matter of seconds.
Project Touchdown was part of a six-month-long investigation that involved the Peel, Durham, and Halton police forces and also the Canada Border Services Agency and resulted in 215 vehicles being recovered and over 150 charges being laid.
"Gone in 22 seconds. That’s how quickly a car thief can steal a vehicle from your driveway," said YRP Chief Jim MacSween in a Tweet.
As part of Wednesday's news conference, Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich explained that people across the GTA have been 'waking up in the morning and finding that vehicles have been taken from the driveway," with most of them being stolen between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
A video from YRP shows one of two ways thieves were able to quickly make off with a vehicle right from someone's driveway, by either "key re-programming" or what was referred to as a "relay."
With either tactic, thieves are able to briefly capture the signal of a key fob inside someone's house and transfer that signal to a device that allows them to open and start the vehicle in the driveway.
Project Touchdown Vehicle Theft youtube.com
As part of the investigation into this organized crime group, police announced they had recovered 215 vehicles valued at roughly $17.4 million, which had been trafficked out to Quebec and Nova Scotia and various other "international destinations."
51 people were arrested as part of Project Touchdown and over 150 charges were laid.
Vehicled seized as part of Project Touchdown. York Regional Police
Police said they also seized several firearms, including 15 handguns, an assault-style rifle, as well as drugs that included fentanyl, MDMA, cocaine, and oxycodone.
The value of the guns seized was estimated at $100,000.
Guns and drugs seized as part of Project Touchdown.York Regional Police
As part of this work, police noted an increase in vehicles being stolen throughout the GTA in recent years. Peel police said on average in 2022, they've recovered six stolen vehicles per day.
Police advised that drivers can prevent their vehicles from getting stolen by parking inside of a locked garage or by using a steering wheel lock. It's also possible for a lock to be installed on the data port that would prevent the signal being copied from a key fob.
Police also encouraged homeowners to consider buying a video surveillance system.
More information can be found by contacting the York Regional Police Auto/Cargo Theft Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6651.