Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Nick Milnovich says auto thefts have decreased by 25 per cent due to the project.
Six suspects are facing a combined 30 charges after police say they busted a “violent” criminal network that was targeting luxury vehicles across the Greater Toronto Area and shipping them to Africa.
In a news conference on Monday, Peel Regional Police announced the results of Project Stratis, an investigation that was launched after a string of armed carjackings in and around the region between Jan. 18 and Feb. 1.
Through the course of the investigation, which was supported by Toronto Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, and Canada Border Services Agency, investigators determined that the suspects were targeting high-end vehicles, primarily various models of Mercedes-Benz, re-vinning them, and shipping them to Ghana to be sold there.
At least eight vehicles have since been recovered. Police said the cars were found in storage lockers, an auto body shop and sea containers. The value of the recovered vehicles is approximately $800,000.
Two of the suspects in custody were arrested at Toronto Pearson International Airport as they attempted to board a flight to Ghana, police said.
“This investigation was into a group of organized criminals who would orchestrate car jackings, drag people out of their vehicles, take their cars and then organize to have them exported out of our country,” Dep. Chief Nick Milinovich said Monday.
Victims were approached in parking lots by 2 armed suspects in Mississauga and Toronto
Det. Jeff Chamula said there were a total of four carjackings that took place between Jan. 18 and Feb. 1, all of which took place in parking lots in Mississauga and Toronto. In each incident, he said, two armed suspects approached the victims and demanded their keys, before fleeing in the stolen vehicle and a getaway car.
Chamula explained that, as the investigation progressed, police identified “multiple” storage locations across the GTA that were used to both conceal the stolen vehicles and the vehicles used to commit the robberies.
“A critical development came when investigators located an auto body shop in Toronto where stolen vehicles were being prepared for overseas export. On January the 30th, officers executed a search warrant at this shop and recovered a Mercedes, which was stolen on January the 18th. This vehicle had already been re-vinned and was scheduled to be shipped to Ghana the following day,” he said.
PRP Seizure A cache of vehicles and replica firearms seized by Peel Regional Police. (Handout)
He said “several” associated shipping containers were later identified and examined as part of the investigation, which led to a series of “significant arrests.”
The suspects include Rainer Fernando, 37, of Toronto, Steven Walsom-Gerigs, 36, of Mount Forest, Ont., Matthew Hymers, 21, of Listowel, Ont., Bradley Walsom, 38, of Brampton; and Steven (Gisselle) Lopez, 22 and Samson Igbasan, 20, of Toronto.
Two replica firearms were also seized
Project Stratis arrests From top left: Rainer Fernando, Steven Walsom-Gerigs, and Matthew Hymers. From bottom left: Bradley Walsom, Steven (Gisselle) Lopez, and Samson Igbasan.