For Immediate release: June 20, 2017

Project Shutdown Members Recover $800,000.00 in Stolen Vehicles

Southwestern Ontario experiences an extraordinarily high number of auto theft occurrences each year. It is estimated that the stolen car industry is a 600 million dollar a year illicit industry in Ontario. In particular, high end GMC pickup trucks and SUV’s are frequently targeted and “stripped” for their parts and sold illegally and within criminal networks.



Project Shutdown is a multi- jurisdictional joint forces project led by the Hamilton Police Service and includes members from the Halton Police Service, Six Nations Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, and Brantford Police Service. The project is aimed at targeting auto theft, in and around the greater Toronto area.

Members of Project Shutdown, using different investigative techniques, were able to identify numerous locations on the Six Nations Territory where stolen vehicles were being dropped off and dismantled.

On Thursday, June 15th 2017 a total of 75 stolen vehicles were located and recovered by police. The approximate value of the recovered stolen vehicles is $811,000.

If you have any information that you believe could assist Police with the investigation into this crime you are asked to contact S/Sgt. Emidio Evangelista by calling 905-546-2991

To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com