Unique tracking system is helping police recover stolen vehicles across GTA
A unique company specializing in tracking vehicles is partnering with car dealerships to hide special devices to prevent thieves from shipping stolen vehicles overseas.
Michael Berger and his company Tag helped police find over 50 stolen vehicles in Ontario and Quebec, all equipped with trackers thieves can't seem to crack.
The technology recently led police in Mississauga to a truck loaded with two stolen vehicles inside its container.
"They picked up the truck going northbound on the 427," Berger said.
A stolen black Range Rover was recovered from the back of a transport truck container on Highway 427. (Courtesy: Michael Berger)
And thieves aren't just stealing vehicles from driveways and parking lots.
"There are quite a few dealerships across the GTA that are having vehicles stolen right off their lot," he noted.
RELATED
- Licence plates recovered from vehicle stolen during private sale in Barrie
- Multiple truck thefts reported in Barrie in one night
- Barrie man upset truck was stolen as police confirm spike in vehicle thefts
- Vehicle thieves use radio signal to override key fobs
NewRoads Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram general manager Todd Shivers said three vehicles had been stolen from the Newmarket dealership in the past two months.
"A Grand Cherokee, a used Range Rover and a brand new Ram TRX."
Shivers said the thieves booked an appointment, drove up in a black Range Rover with Manitoba plates and then took off with the white Range Rover.
Dealership surveillance video. (Supplied)
York Regional Police report a 43 per cent spike this year in vehicle thefts; since 2019, the service reports carjackings across the GTA have more than doubled.
"Transported overseas mostly to North Africa," said Const. Maniva Armstrong. "What we're seeing right now is the value in these vehicles. It's high-end vehicles."
The Newmarket dealership is now installing Tag systems in its vehicles to protect the business and its customers.
"At $999 per vehicle, it's going to protect the consumer for sure," Shivers noted.
Meanwhile, York Regional Police is leading a task force with the OPP and Toronto police to prevent drivers and car dealerships from becoming victimized.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.