HAWKESBURY, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police and Montreal police say they've struck a blow to car thieves with the arrest of 34 people in the Montreal area on outstanding warrants for vehicle thefts and other serious crimes in Ontario.
The arrests were part of Project Volcano, an operation by Ontario and Quebec police forces that took place over three days this week in the greater Montreal area. Many of those targeted are Quebecers who had been arrested and charged for vehicle theft and other crimes in Ontario between 2019 and 2023.
"The accused failed to appear for court purposes or violated their release conditions, resulting in warrants being issued for their arrests," OPP deputy commissioner Marty Kearns told a news conference Friday in Hawkesbury, Ont.
"Project Volcano was an initiative to bring these such individuals before the courts."
Police said many vehicles were stolen in the Greater Toronto Area, allegedly by suspects residing in Quebec who brought the cars to the Port of Montreal for export. The suspects transported the stolen cars to Montreal by train, transport truck or by driving them across provincial boundaries, police said.
Kearns said the number of recent car thefts in Ontario is "unprecedented," with nearly 3,000 vehicles reported stolen in the past seven weeks. Cases of violent carjackings have exploded in the Toronto area between 2021 and 2023, he added.
Police, meanwhile, are also concerned by how quickly criminals are able to steal cars by using various methods to override anti-theft technology, including by hacking on-board diagnostics.
OPP Supt. Joe Goodwin said police identified numerous people from the Montreal area who were wanted in Ontario, including several suspects who were minors at the time of the offences.
"This week, during the arrest periods, they were found in residences with other persons who were wanted for auto theft, and they were also found in possession of auto theft tools and technology," Goodwin said.
"This demonstrates that despite having (been) previously charged, some of the accused continue to reoffend."
Other suspects in the string of Ontario vehicle thefts were arrested before this week's takedown; as many as a dozen of them are detained in Quebec jails. Several suspects remain on the lam, and police said Friday that investigators won't stop looking for them, and advised they speak with lawyers and turn themselves in.
Montreal police Insp. David Shane described the joint operation on Friday as the next evolution in police co-operation.
"Together, we've struck a hard blow against auto theft rings in Ontario and Quebec," Shane said. "The message we're sending is clear: there are no borders between our provinces, we will continue and maintain pressure on all those involved in auto theft at all levels."
He said while most of those arrested this week had warrants out for them in Ontario, many are also involved in vehicle theft in Quebec, and some have alleged ties to organized crime.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2024.
— By Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.
The Canadian Press
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said there were 31 people arrested based on information provided by police. An updated news release said there were actually 34 people arrested.
