I missed this earlier in the week
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/640-charges-laid-in-alleged-high-end-vehicle-theft-ring-1.2696347 Toronto Police Staff Insp. Mike Earl said, in some cases, the vehicles were targeted for theft before being sold. He said that in some cases the vehicles were delivered to dealerships, with one of the car's two keys reported missing.
Police believe people involved in the scam took photos of the vehicle information numbers (VINs) and key codes, rather than stealing the key. The photos were allegedly sold for approximately $200, then a locksmith would make a copies of the keys, he said. The organization allegedly used two experts with computers to reprogram blank electronic keys for specific vehicles, so the vehicles' alarms wouldn't go off.
With the VIN, a Service Ontario employee was able to provide home addresses of the registered owners of the vehicles, Earl said. The thieves were able to go to the owners' homes, find the vehicles and use the copied keys to steal them from the owners' driveways, he said.
It is estimated that approximately 500 SUVs were stolen in Toronto and other parts of the GTA. Ramer said police believe the ring was responsible for approximately 10 to 15 per cent of all vehicles stolen in Toronto in 2015.
The organization, which allegedly lifted $30 million worth of high-end vehicles from residential driveways throughout the year, is believed to be tied to the Nigeria-based Black Axe criminal organization, police said.
