RCMP have busted an organized crime vehicle theft ring that has also revealed a loophole in Alberta’s registry system.
The months-long investigation led to seven people facing nearly 100 criminal charges, with Alberta RCMP saying they’ve recovered approximately $1.9 million in stolen vehicles, and identifying more than 150 others potentially linked to the scheme.
The Alberta RCMP Auto Theft Unit began investigating in December 2024 and uncovered a complex fraud operation that exploited the Alberta Registries’ third-party authorization system, which allows another person to register a vehicle in someone else’s name.
According to the RCMP, the suspects steal vehicles and register them under the names of unsuspecting people using fraudulent vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and forged authorization forms, allowing the criminals to disguise stolen vehicles as legitimate.
“These fraudulent VINs were then used to conceal stolen vehicles. The investigation to date has resulted in the recovery of vehicles in various parts of the country and overseas,” said Staff Sgt. Luke Halvorson with the Alberta RCMP community safety unit.
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“We are suspecting there’s upwards of 130 vehicles that are fraudulent VINs registered through the Alberta registries. We’ve recovered six so far and are working to recover more and identify them.”
Halvorson said vehicles have been recovered around Alberta, as well as in Ontario and the Northwest Territories. One was also confirmed to have been shipped overseas, but police believe more have left Canada.
“There’s an international component to it,” Halvorson said.
Insurance Bureau of Canada vice-president Aaron Sutherland said only a handful have been recovered because it’s highly likely many of the stolen vehicles have been shipped overseas.
“That’s why this is such a lucrative avenue for car thieves,” he said.
“We’re really good at checking containers coming into the country to make everything’s legitimate on that side but we check far too few containers heading out of our ports in places like Vancouver, Montreal and the east coast.”
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Sutherland said the industry has been calling on provinces for a long time to crack down on who can register vehicles and VINs.
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“The more open that it is, as it is in Alberta today, the easier it is for for thefts and thieves to create fake bills of sale, fake insurance policies and make fake insurance claims,” Sutherland said.
“It makes theft all too appealing and it’s Albertans that are the ones that are caught in the lurch.”
This new tactic exploiting VINs is a change from what police typically see, in which vehicles are stolen, used to commit other crimes, and then ditched or recovered during an arrest.
RCMP said in some cases, the criminals then insure the re-numbered vehicle to use themselves, sell it to an innocent person, or commit insurance fraud.
“They essentially steal a $80,000 vehicle, insure it, say it’s stolen, they still have the $80,000 vehicle and $80,000,” Halvorson said.
Halvorson said by and large, the vehicles aren’t going to chop shops.
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“Most of the vehicles are still being used — they’re not parting them out — they’re wholesale,” Halvorson said.
“Just changing the VIN and either they’re driving them, criminal associates driving them or an unsuspecting person is driving them. They would have been registered in Alberta, they may not still be in Alberta.”
Luxury vehicles and high-end models that are only a year or two old are the main target, RCMP said, including top of the line pickup trucks, Land Rovers and Toyotas.
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“Really, anything that they can steal, they’re doing that, and then they’re working to re-VIN them and legitimize that,” Halvorson said.
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Sutherland said as provinces like Ontario and Quebec have made changes to cut down on auto theft, criminal patterns in Alberta have changed.
“We’re seeing organized crime migrating westward in search of easy targets and here in Alberta, it’s all too easy to come up with a fake vehicle identification number and register that vehicle as though it’s legitimate,” Sutherland said.
The IBC says the cost of auto theft has gone up 65 per cent in three years, and has cost Albertans over a $100 million a year in claims.
“Where it hits most — it’s Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray. In those areas, it’s up as high as 80 per cent in terms of how much it’s increased, just in the last few years,” Sutherland said.
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RCMP did note as auto technology has advanced, so too have criminal tactics.
“It is getting harder to steal cars. You need higher levels of tech. So old cars where you can just use a screwdriver or a nail file, go to the junkyard — there’s less of those to steal and then criminals have to become more sophisticated,” Halvorson said.
RCMP said the vehicles are not being taken via violent means such as carjacking. Instead, the criminals are stealing keys, spoofing fobs or using other electronic technology to get into and start the vehicle.
RCMP said owners need to be mindful and protect their property.
“Always keep your keys with you, don’t leave them in the vehicle,” Halvorson said.
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He also suggests parking in a garage or well-lit-area, using a steering wheel lock, installing a third-party tracking system on your vehicle and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity in your neighbourhood.
So how can you find out if a stolen vehicle has been registered under your name? People who have had their identity stolen are at greatest risk.
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“If you have identity theft problems or were the victim of identity theft or lost your licence or it was stolen, then next time you’re at the registrars, you could just ask to check how many vehicles are registered,” Halvorson said.
“They would be able to tell you and then you’d say, ‘Hey, I don’t own a brand new Porsche,’ and then maybe we can start an investigation.”
Since the beginning of the investigation, RCMP said its auto theft unit has recovered approximately $1.9 million in stolen vehicles and are working to find more than 150 other vehicles, with 30 vehicles being linked to the seven people charged in the case.
RCMP became aware of the VIN scam about a year ago and the formal investigation began in December 2024. It involved multiple search warrants executed across the Edmonton region, with help from the Edmonton Police Service.
The investigation has drawn attention to vulnerabilities in the vehicle registration system and police allege the accused are likely part of several groups engaging in the VIN tactic.
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The RCMP said it’s working with Service Alberta to close the loophole. Global News has reached out to the province for more details, but had not heard back as of publishing.
A SUV that was stolen as part of the auto re-VIN theft crime ring busted by the Alberta RCMP.
Alberta RCMP
Halvorson did note auto theft has gone down over the past four years in Alberta, with the largest drop this year — an 18-per cent decline compared to 2022, which Halvorson said equated to nearly 1,000 fewer vehicles stolen.
RCMP have laid 99 charges against seven people: four of whom have been arrested, and three who are wanted on warrants.
“It’s not a named gang, but we believe they were acting in concert with three more people and we believe that that to be a criminal organization,” Halvorson said.
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Among the charges laid, Edmonton resident Mohamed Hajar, 40, faces 46 criminal charges. Those include fraud, uttering forged documents, illegal possession of identity documents, and participation in a criminal organization.
Hajar is also charged with recruitment for a criminal organization and drug trafficking. RCMP allege he is the leader of the criminal group.
Three other people from Edmonton are also facing charges:
Ryan Garford, 40, is charged with 28 counts, including uttering forged documents and fraud.
Sean Broyles, 37, is charged with seven counts of uttering forged documents.
Yuvraj Dhillon, 22, is charged with fraud over $5,000 and trafficking in property obtained by crime.
All four are scheduled to appear at the Edmonton courthouse on July 29.
Three more people are also wanted for a collective 16 counts of uttering forged documents. Warrants have also been issued for Zachary Frazer, 34, of Edmonton, Loranne Smith, 56, of High River and Darlene Noel, 61, also of High River.
In addition to stolen vehicles, police seized over a kilogram of cocaine, more than 200 OxyContin pills, and close to $10,000 in cash.
Cash, cocaine and other drugs found as part of the Alberta RCMP’s auto re-VIN theft crime investigation.
Alberta RCMP
RCMP officials said 30 of the stolen vehicles have already been directly linked to the individuals charged, with efforts continuing to track down more than 120 others across Canada and internationally.
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