Two men arrested in organized fraud investigation, $1.3M in vehicles seized

Two men are facing charges in connection with an organized automotive fraud ring operating in Southern Ontario.

Halton police launched an investigation back in January after two pickup trucks were fraudulently taken from a dealership in Oakville.

Investigators learned about multiple similar incidents in the Greater Toronto Area where the suspects attempted to ship the vehicles out of Canada via the Port of Montreal to the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

The vehicles were seized by the Canada Border Services Agency before they left the country.

Officers executed search warrants at three locations in Mississauga and seized a Land Rover, a Dodge Ram, electronics, and $4,700 in cash.

Muhammed Khoshnaw, 59, and Mohammed Hussein, 29, were arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime. Khoshnaw also faces two counts of fraud over $5,000.

“The detection and disruption of organized crime groups such as this one is an ongoing priority of the Halton Regional Police Service. The negative impact on the community from fraudulent criminal activity is significant and takes the form of increased insurance and retail costs,” says Deputy Chief Jeff Hill in a news release. “I would like to commend our Regional Fraud Unit and the Canada Border Security Agency on the success of this investigation.”

The investigation is ongoing and more arrests and charges are expected.

Anyone with information that could help police is asked to contact the Regional Fraud Unit at 905-825-4747, ext. 8738.