Two men are facing several charges after police recovered 29 vehicles, including newer Range Rovers and Toyota Tundras, worth $2.5 million.
An investigation by the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) that began in February ended with the arrest of the pair in Surrey in late May, according to the BC RCMP.
During the investigation police recovered the vehicles from shipping containers at BC ports. IMPACT was assisted by a variety of agencies including Vancouver Police, Delta Police and Canada Border Services.
The RCMP notes the pair were "using sophisticated technology" to get into the newer vehicles.
Acting Officer in Charge of IMPACT Eugene Lum states that just because a vehicle employs high-tech security measures doesn't necessarily mean it's theft-proof.
"New vehicle owners sometimes assume that built-in, anti-theft mechanisms and new technology mean their vehicle is less likely to be stolen," says Lum. "The reality is criminals can use technology to find and exploit weaknesses of specific, newer vehicles and steal them without a key fob."
Mohamed Wael Ozor, 29, and Omar Wael Ozor, 20, each face 14 charges, including theft of motor vehicles over $5,000, possession of stolen property, and trafficking in stolen property, according to the RCMP. Both men are from Delta.
Police advise vehicle owners to use after-market anti-theft devices to discourage thieves, and note Air Tags or similar GPS tracking devices can be used to track down a vehicle if it has been stolen.
