OPP says 31 suspects accused of stealing cars in Ontario arrested in Montreal

A joint operation between provincial police and law enforcement officials in Montreal has led to the arrest of 31 Quebec residents who police say were wanted for auto theft crimes in Ontario.

A joint operation between provincial police and law enforcement officials in Montreal has led to the arrest of 31 Quebec residents who police say were wanted for auto theft crimes in Ontario.

During a news conference in Montreal on Friday morning, police confirmed that some of the suspects arrested as part of the investigation, dubbed Project Volcano, are as young as 16.

Police said they are increasingly seeing a trend where vehicles stolen in Ontario, largely in the Greater Toronto Area, are then transported to Quebec to be shipped out of the region through the Port of Montreal.

Some of the suspects who are apprehended by the OPP reside in Quebec, police said, and do not return to Ontario to attend court or violate the conditions of their release, resulting in warrants being issued for their arrest.

“In many cases they were wanted for not only auto theft but also for other many serious offences, including possession of a loaded firearm, dangerous operation of a motor-vehicle, and impaired driving,” OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns told reporters Friday.

“We have encountered accused as young as 16 years old driving vehicles recklessly in attempts to evade police. Several serious motor-vehicle collisions have resulted from these incidents, putting the lives of our police officers and the lives of members of the public at significant risk.”

Insp. David Shane, of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), said the arrests in Project Volcano have delivered a “ hard blow” to the criminal organizations involved in vehicle theft in the two provinces.