OPP, Montreal police nab 31 in Project Volcano, aimed at Ontario car theft suspects

By The Canadian Press on March 22, 2024.

HAWKESBURY, Ont. – Ontario Provincial Police and Montreal police say they’ve arrested 31 people in Quebec with outstanding warrants for car thefts and other serious crimes in Ontario.

The arrests are part of Project Volcano, an operation by Ontario and Quebec police forces that took place over three days this week in the greater Montreal area.

Many of those targeted in Project Volcano are Quebecers who had been arrested in Ontario for vehicle theft and other crimes but who had failed to appear in court in that province.

Police say many vehicles were stolen in the Greater Toronto Area, allegedly by suspects residing in Quebec who brought the cars to the Port of Montreal for export.

OPP deputy commissioner Marty Kearns says nearly 3,000 vehicles have been reported stolen in the past seven weeks in Ontario.

Kearns told a news conference today that police are concerned by how quickly criminals are able to steal cars by using various methods to override anti-theft technology.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2024.

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