Winnipeg, Manitoba -- Two people have been arrested and two tow trucks seized following an investigation into a string of vehicle thefts in Winnipeg’s Transcona area, according to the Winnipeg Police Service.
In a July 16 news release, police said their Property Crime Unit began investigating after receiving multiple reports of vehicles being removed from residential areas by tow trucks without the owners’ consent. Between July 2 and 14, at least nine vehicles were reportedly taken.
Court filings obtained by CBC News and CTV News suggest the thefts are tied to a recycling business operating in Winnipeg. A civil claim filed by Manitoba’s Criminal Property Forfeiture Office alleges the company took in stolen vehicles, damaged them to appear inoperable, and then sold them to scrap-metal buyers.
According to CTV, the court documents say the business sold more than seven million kilograms of vehicle scrap to a recycling firm between 2017 and 2024, receiving more than $3 million. The province alleges at least some of those vehicles were stolen.
Police have not publicly named the facility, and no criminal charges have been announced as of publication. The civil forfeiture action is ongoing.
The full police release can be found here
