City-led police effort recovers 75 stolen vehicles
A Hamilton police-led joint-forces team that investigates auto theft has recovered 75 stolen vehicles — mostly pickups and SUVs — dumped on Six Nations of the Grand River.
Officers from Project Shutdown organized a plane flyover of the area a few months ago before vegetation grew in and blocked their view, said Hamilton Staff Sgt. Emidio Evangelista.
He described the area where the vehicles were spotted as “acres and acres and acres out in the bush.”
The land was too wet and muddy to access, so officers had to wait until last week to go out and recover the vehicles. Some were found to be stolen in 2003 and others just six months ago.
Some of the vehicles had been completely stripped of parts, while others appeared to have just been dumped, Evangelista said. In total, they were valued at about $811,000.
Hamilton police took control of Project Shutdown in 2012. The team also includes officers from Halton, Six Nations, Brantford and OPP.
They recovered 832 stolen vehicles between 2012 and 2016, Evangelista said.
It’s estimated Ontario’s stolen vehicle industry is valued at $600 million a year, with high-end GMC pickup trucks and SUVs being the most frequent targets.
Police believe stolen vehicles frequently end up in Six Nations.
There is no indication that there is any organized criminal group linked to the most recent recovery, but rather the undeveloped area was an ideal spot to dump stolen vehicles as they are hidden by vegetation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Evangelista at 905-546-2991. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.