Two men accused of stealing $2.5 million worth of vehicles at B.C. port facilities have been arrested.
After three months of investigation, on May 22, 2024, Mohamed Wael Ozor, 29, and Omar Wael Ozor, 20, were each charged with 14 criminal offences in Surrey’s Provincial Court.
The charges included the theft of 29 vehicles across the Lower Mainland, including newer Range Rovers and Toyota Tundras, theft of a motor vehicle of over $5,000, as well as possession and trafficking of stolen property.
In February 2024, the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) began an investigation that identified two men from Delta who were allegedly stealing vehicles using sophisticated technology.
During the investigation, with the assistance of Vancouver police, Delta police, Langley RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency, IMPACT intercepted several shipping containers with stolen vehicles at B.C. port facilities.
“New vehicle owners sometimes assume that built-in, anti-theft mechanisms and new technology means their vehicle is less likely to be stolen,” Acting Officer in Charge of IMPACT Eugene Lum said in a statement. “The reality is criminals can use technology to find and exploit weaknesses of specific, newer vehicles and steal them without a key fob.”
RCMP encourages all vehicle owners to prevent thefts by physically checking to ensure their vehicle is truly locked, even after locking it using technology.
RCMP also advises placing a GPS tracking device in the vehicle for additional security against theft attempts.