Montreal police arrest nine people in connection to stolen vehicle exportation network

Montreal police say they’ve dealt a “heavy blow” to a stolen vehicle export network, following a series of arrests Wednesday morning.

The SPVM says their investigation led to nine people between the ages of 27 and 64 being taken into custody and 55 charges being laid in connection to vehicle thefts. 37 of those took place within the City of Montreal.

In addition, the SPVM was able to recover 21 stolen vehicles, valued at over $1.7 million.

Police say the network operated around Montreal — including areas like Mascouche, Terrebonne, Saint-Esprit, Saint-Félix-de-Valois, Sainte-Julienne, and Saint-Lin – and targeted luxury vehicles like SUVs and late-model pickup trucks, such as Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Durango, Ford F150, Dodge RAM.

The SPVM says through their investigation, they were able to learn that a large portion of the vehicles were being resold abroad.

Police say vehicles were targeted at various locations, including a rental company, public parking lots, and the Montreal airport.

Through the investigation, police also seized two handguns, over $40,000 in cash, various tools used to steal vehicles, one ounce of cocaine, and eight points of marijuana.

SPVM says six of the nine people who were charged will appear in court Wednesday afternoon, with the other three appearing in court on Thursday.

Charges include motor vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, breaking and entering and more.