Police in Mississauga, Ont. recover stolen cars headed for Africa

Police in Mississauga, Ont., say they have intercepted and seized eight stolen cars destined for the African continent.

Peel Regional Police said in a news release that a search warrant executed on Friday led to the recovery of the vehicles, some of which have since been returned to their owners.

Investigators searched a business around Drew Street and Torbram Road in Mississauga on Friday, finding eight Honda and Mercedes vehicles.

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Police said the cars, with an estimated value of $650,000, were headed for Ghana.

Vehicle theft has been a key focus for police in Peel this year. The force hosted an auto-theft summit in March to draw attention to the issue, pointing out thefts were up 90 per cent in 2022 from 2018.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who sits on the Peel Police Services Board, has also campaigned to have the federal government step in to make manufacturers change their vehicles to make them harder to steal.

2:08 78 stolen vehicles recovered, 4 charged as Peel police work to target car theft ‘epidemic’