Cape Breton vehicle theft case takes $10M turn

$10 million in stolen vehicles, 220 charges, and an investigation spanning five provinces. Cape Breton police are pulling back the curtain on a massive organized auto theft ring and the local salvage yard at the center of it all. What started as a request to help locate one stolen vehicle in our area uncovered a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional criminal operation ...involving theft, transport, dismantling... Assembly and resale of stolen motor vehicles that spanned across several Canadian provinces and has international connections. McKinnon says it's the most expensive theft bust during his 30 years with the force. It all started last year when police had laid charges against a man named Sandy Young, including allegations of theft. Now police have laid more charges and seized 150 vehicles from different properties owned by Young, including this body shop. Police allege four people were were involved in the operation, making it organized crime. Talking to our colleagues across the country, it's probably in the top two or three auto theft files in the country that we know of. McKinnon alleges cars, boats, and snowmobiles were transported from across the country to multiple properties, including two residences in Little Pond, a decommissioned school in Florence, and the body shop. The investigation is still ongoing, as they're unsure how many more vehicles were stolen, but McKinnon is proud of the results so far. Our officers, you know, Really put this together. 99% of this file. So we have that specialty and that expertise here locally. So as a chief or as an interim chief, that makes me feel proud. And I think as a community to know that we can handle these types of investigations is something that the community as well should be proud of the police service. The vehicles are currently being held by the Cape Breton Regional Police at an undisclosed location and police say there are thousands of disassembled motor vehicle components in their custody. Ethan Hunt, CBC News, Sydney.