4 arrested in alleged Montreal high-end vehicle theft operation

A person attempts to steal a vehicle. (Pexels)

Montreal police (SPVM) says it has arrested four men and seized 10 vehicles and other equipment as part of an operation aimed at dismantling an alleged stolen vehicle export network.

Officers raided locations in Repentigny, Saint-Jean-de-Matha and the Montreal boroughs of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.

Éric Quenneville and Yves Desjardins, both 49, were arrested and are facing charges including the possession and trafficking of criminally-obtained property.

Two other men, 50 and 55, were released on promises to appear in court at a later date.

The SPVM says it launched an investigation in January into an operation that allegedly stole high-end pick-up trucks and SUVs before “leaving them to ‘cool off’ for a few hours to ensure that no active tracking devices were present.”

“The stolen vehicles were then loaded onto shipping containers,” the SPVM said. “In some cases, the network is believed to have used a technique to falsify the vehicles’ identities, thereby reducing the risk of seizure by customs authorities.”

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Repentigny police, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Équité Association aided the investigation.

“Criminal networks attempting to export stolen vehicles are always looking to refine their methods to achieve their goals,” said Commander Pierre-Marc Houle. ”They must remember that the SPVM and its partners are equally agile. No matter what criminal techniques they use, they will eventually find us standing in their way.”