AN Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) investigation has led to charges against two men and the recovery of 29 stolen vehicles.

In February, IMPACT began an investigation into an auto theft series involving newer model trucks and SUVs stolen across the Lower Mainland region. The investigation identified two males from Delta who were allegedly stealing vehicles using sophisticated technology. The stolen vehicles included newer Range Rovers and Toyota Tundras.

After three months of investigation, on May 22, with the assistance of the Lower Mainland District Integrated Emergency Response Team, two suspects were arrested in Surrey without incident. Mohamed Wael Ozor, 29, and Omar Wael Ozor, 20, were each charged with 14 criminal offences in Surrey Provincial Court. Charges include theft of motor vehicle over $5,000, possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property.

During the investigation, with the assistance of Vancouver Police, Delta Police, Langley RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, IMPACT intercepted several shipping containers with stolen vehicles at BC ports facilities. IMPACT recovered 29 stolen vehicles with the estimated total value of the vehicles being approximately $2.5 million.

“New vehicle owners sometimes assume that built-in, anti-theft mechanisms and new technology means their vehicle is less likely to be stolen,” said Acting Officer in Charge of IMPACT, Eugene Lum. “The reality is criminals can use technology to find and exploit weaknesses of specific, newer vehicles and steal them without a key fob.”

Police encourage all vehicle owners to prevent thefts by physically checking to ensure their vehicle is locked even after locking with their fob, and using an additional, after-market anti-theft device, such as a steering wheel lock or secondary immobilizer. Additionally, placing an AirTag, Tile, or a GPS tracking device in the vehicle can greatly assist police with recovery efforts if a vehicle is stolen.