Four stolen vehicles a part of a larger group shipped overseas to Dubai in early 2023 have been recovered, according to Halton police.
Investigators say the Lexus SUV, Range Rover and two Ford-150s were part of $2.1 million in vehicles flagged during an auto theft probe that started in February of last year.
Three of the vehicles were taken from the Toronto-area and another in Halton Region.
A task force, which included Canada Border Services, says police in Dubai intercepted containers with the vehicles and rerouted them back to Canada in January.
The total value of the four cars recovered is estimated to be around $200,000.
Some 24 vehicles, earmarked for the same destination, did leave Canadian shores early last year but never made it to Dubai after authorities intercepted them in Morocco.
The lot included a Rolls-Royce valued at $500,000.
Detectives say the cars were primarily ‘reprogram’ thefts, in which suspects were able to be driven away using a new key.
No arrests have been made in connection with the thefts, say police.
The recoveries come a day before a scheduled summit between politicians, police and vehicle manufacturers on auto-theft.
They are seeking ways to try to stem an uptick in the crime across most major Canadian cities.
In November, the Ford government announced Hamilton will receive $895,000 of an estimated $18-million fund for efforts to reduce vehicle thefts across Ontario.
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