Ontario Police Warn Owners of One Particular Truck Model About Repeated Thefts

An Ontario Provincial Police logo is seen during a press conference in Barrie, Ont., on April 3, 2019. The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette

Ontario police are alerting drivers to be cautious after a series of attempted thefts targeting the same model of pickup truck.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said it is searching for suspects following three incidents involving Toyota Tundra trucks in the Town of Orangeville that occurred early in the morning on Dec. 16.

Police responded to reports of “suspicious activity” and “vehicle damage” targeting Toyota Tundras between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., according to a Dec. 16 news release.

“Two vehicles were damaged during attempted thefts, with windows smashed and dashboards taken apart,” the release said.

Police said they observed suspects attempting to break into another Toyota Tundra, but were not successful. Investigators believe the suspects were attempting to steal the vehicles.

OPP is asking for the public’s help to find the suspects, who have been described as wearing dark clothing with hoods and face coverings.

A suspect vehicle is believed to be a black, newer model Honda CR-V. Police said they did not have a licence plate number or any other identifying markers for the vehicle.

Police have asked residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. Vehicle owners have been advised to ensure vehicles are locked and secure.

Anyone with information, security video, or dash cam footage has been asked to contact the Dufferin detachment of the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477,

The Toyota Tundra was number nine on a list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada for 2024, according to a report from insurance crime and fraud prevention expert Équité Association.

The vehicle was also named the “most often stolen vehicle of the year” for 2024 by the Équité Association. The pickup has the highest theft rate among the top-10 list, at 1.52 percent, followed by the Lexus RX series at 1.14 percent.

300 Stolen Vehicles Recovered

The attempted auto thefts targeting Tundra pickups came a day before the OPP announced it had charged 20 people and recovered 300 stolen vehicles in a two-year investigation dubbed “Project Chickadee.”

The joint investigation between the OPP and the Canada Border Services Agency started in August 2023 when police recovered four stolen vehicles from the Greater Toronto Area.

OPP Detective Inspector Scott Wade said on Dec. 17 that the evidence uncovered a “sophisticated criminal network” using registered freight forwarding companies and fraudulent documents to send the vehicles overseas.

The investigation included the inspection of shipping containers at the Port of Montreal, the Port of Vancouver, and the Port of Halifax to intercept stolen vehicles before they left Canada.

The vehicles were being shipped to several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and several countries in West Africa, where the demand for high-end SUVs and luxury vehicles is high, police said.

Police said they recovered 306 stolen vehicles that were valued at more than $25 million as part of the investigation.

Officers also seized three firearms, equipment allegedly used to steal vehicles and alter vehicle identification numbers, two forklifts, two tractor-trailer cabs, more than CA$190,000, and more than US$32,000.

Police said 20 people were arrested and face a total of 134 charges, which include participation in a criminal organization, money laundering, fraud, theft-related charges, and Customs Act offences related to the export of stolen vehicles, police said.

The OPP said it could not confirm that a single organized crime group was responsible, with Wade saying there were multiple groups working together.

Olivia Gomm contributed to this report.