The
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has announced that it was proud to have been part of an initiative that saw the recovery of 60 stolen vehicles worth $3.4 million in total.
The initiative, called Project Cyclone, was a joint auto theft investigation by the IBC in cooperation with a number of police services across the country, such as York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police, the Toronto Police Service and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
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Project Cyclone not only led to the recovery of the stolen vehicles, but also resulted in the arrest of 24 suspected individuals, as well as the confiscation of guns, drugs, and about $200,000 in cash.
“IBC is proud to have supported our partners in the successful completion of Project Cyclone,” said IBC director of Auto Theft (Ontario and Atlantic) Dan Beacock. “Insurance crime is big business. When they cheat, we all pay. IBC and police services rely on help from the community to catch thieves and insurance fraudsters. That is why we always encourage people with information about insurance crime to report it online at ibc.ca, or call IBC’s anonymous TIPS Line. . .”
For their part in Project Cyclone, investigators with the IBC provided vehicle histories and insurance information on stolen vehicles. The agency also supported the CBSA with the capture of a cargo container in Toronto. In addition, IBC investigators helped with the recovery of vehicles found in the ports of Halifax and Montreal that were to be shipped overseas.
The IBC reported that auto theft across the country is on the rise for the second consecutive year, with a 6% year-over-year increase. The agency is reminding consumers to take necessary precautions when securing their cars from theft, such as never leaving their vehicles running unattended and parking in well-lit areas.
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