WRPS Arrest Three Males after Locating Substantial Chop Shop in North Dumfries Township

Waterloo Region, Ontario – Waterloo Regional Police Service’s Break, Enter, and Vehicle Theft (BEVT) Team have charged three males after locating 52 stolen high-end vehicles in the Township of North Dumfries.

On November 23, 2024, BEVT Team investigators responded to a report of a stolen Toyota Tundra located at a business on Darrell Drive. The vehicle had previously been reported stolen from the Greater Toronto Area. Officers attended the business and arrested two males.

While present at the business, officers located a substantial “chop shop,” a place where stolen vehicles are disassembled so that the parts can be sold separately or used in other vehicles. Officers noted a large number of vehicles in various states of dismantlement.

As part of the investigation, officers, with assistance from investigators from the Équité Association, completed a search warrant at the business and located the stolen Toyota Tundra and two newer Lexus vehicles that had also been reported stolen from the GTA. As officers continued the investigation, on November 24, 2024, a third individual was arrested at the property.

In total, 52 stolen high-end vehicles were recovered, including three intact vehicles. The rest were stripped for parts. The majority of the vehicles recovered included those that are commonly targeted through reprogramming theft, including Toyota Highlanders, Toyota Tundras, Lexus RX350s, Dodge Rams, and Ford F150s.

The estimated value of the recovered vehicles is $4 million. An additional $80,000 worth of tools and three forklifts were seized as offence-related property.  

Investigators have determined that this operation had been running since October 2024 and believe that the parts were being shipped overseas to supply the repair of other stolen vehicles.

As a result of the investigation, a 73-year-old male and a 36-year-old male, both from Cambridge, and a 29-year-old male from the Township of North Dumfries were charged with Possession of Stolen Property over $5,000.

The accused parties are scheduled to appear in court in Kitchener on January 6, 2025. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact BEVT Team investigators at 519-570-9777, extension 8255.

Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.waterloocrimestoppers.com.

Police encourage owners and drivers to consider taking the following measures to help prevent the theft of their vehicles:

• Block the access to the onboard diagnostic port to prevent thieves from reprogramming the vehicle's key fob or purchase an aftermarket immobilizer.
• Use a steering wheel locking device to deter theft.
• When not in use, place the vehicle key fob inside a radio frequency shielding bag/pouch to block cell signals.
• Consider equipping your vehicle with an aftermarket Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker, as organized groups can easily defeat onboard manufacturing tracking. The tracker may assist police in locating the vehicle and/or suspects. 
• Consider installing a wired camera system and audible alarm, as subjects are known to carry devices that can jam wireless cameras. 
• Ensure all keys are accounted for and never left in the vehicle or unattended.
• Those looking to purchase a vehicle can also visit the Équité Association website (www.equiteassociation.com) to view a list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles.

If you observe suspicious people in your neighbourhood looking into vehicles, contact police immediately. This will assist investigators in tracking patterns of criminal behaviour and potentially identifying suspects.

A crime in progress can be reported by calling 9-1-1. Any non-emergency incidents can be reported by calling 519-570-9777. 

Waterloo Regional Police Service is committed to reducing vehicle theft as a recipient of funding provided by the Ontario Government Preventing Auto Theft Grant. 

WA24309530 (913)

Media Inquiries:
Waterloo Regional Police Service
Public Information Unit
519-570-9777 (WRPS) ext. 8188
publicinfo@wrps.on.ca 

To receive our Media Releases, subscribe here: https://www.wrps.on.ca/subscribe. 

For updated information and crime prevention tips, visit our Website or follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.