Latest news with #organizedCrime
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Members of 'theft ring' suspected of registering stolen vehicles using loopholes
The Alberta RCMP have laid charges against members of an organized vehicle theft ring that relied on registering stolen vehicles under the names of unsuspecting individuals. In a news release Wednesday, RCMP stated that this group was registering stolen vehicles with fraudulent vehicle identification numbers (VINs) by primarily exploiting loopholes in Alberta Registries' Third-Party Authorization System. It can be used by people involved in organized crime to legitimize stolen, "re-VINned" vehicles. As a result of an investigation by the RCMP Auto Theft Unit that began in December 2024, five individuals from Edmonton and two from High River, Alta., have been charged with a combined total of 99 criminal charges. RCMP Staff Sgt. Luke Halvorson said the individuals who have been charged are not directly part of a named gang, but he said RCMP believe they have connections to a criminal organization. Police said at least 30 stolen vehicles have been linked to the charged individuals, and six of these vehicles have been recovered so far. According to Hanna Beydoun, the Insurance Bureau of Canada's director of auto policy, re-VINning refers to when a person illegally alters the Vehicle Identification Number to "hide the true identity of that car, mislabelling it essentially." WATCH | EPS hopes to address vehicle thefts in Edmonton: RCMP said that more than one kilogram of cocaine, more than 200 OxyContin pills, and nearly $10,000 in cash were also seized. Since the beginning of the investigation in 2024, the RCMP Auto Theft Unit has identified and is working to locate more than 150 registered stolen vehicles that have been re-VINned. Overall, the wider investigation by the Auto Theft Unit has resulted in the recovery of approximately $1.9 million in stolen vehicles in Alberta. "We're alleging that someone would go and steal a vehicle, then someone would create a VIN for it, and then utilize one of the other people in the organization to register that vehicle through the third-party authorization system, therefore legitimizing that vehicle," said Halvorson. Halvorson said thieves will sometimes insure the stolen vehicles once they are registered, and report them stolen and collect the claim payment. "So, they essentially steal an $80,000 vehicle, insure it, say it's stolen, [then] they still have the $80,000 vehicle and the $80,000," said Halvorson. He said that criminals will also often sell the stolen vehicles that have been re-VINned. "They've sold them to unsuspecting citizens who are now driving a stolen vehicle that could be seized at any time." Halvorson said the RCMP is starting to see a shift from criminals stealing vehicles to commit other crimes or just to be used as transportation, to more criminals starting to register and re-VIN stolen vehicles. Beydoun said criminals are starting to come to Alberta to take advantage of these registry loopholes that have been closed in other parts of the country. "We're seeing criminals start moving west. In Ontario … they've tightened up their provincial registry system, [so] we're seeing them move west into Alberta." "[Ontario is] making it harder for people to register fraudulent vehicles, which is what we wanted to see," said Beydoun. "Over the past year, we did see about a 21 per cent decrease in theft claims in Ontario, whereas we're not seeing the same decrease or change in Alberta." Beydoun said the Insurance Bureau of Canada wants the Alberta government to begin prohibiting VIN override functions at provincial registries, which she says allows criminals to enter an illegitimate VIN for a vehicle. She also recommended that the Alberta government restrict third-party vehicle registrations to just dealerships. "Until those loopholes in provincial registries are closed, the auto theft crisis is only going to continue to persist and worsen," said Beydoun.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
4 Ontario men wanted in 2024 Calgary and Edmonton taxi frauds
A person hands a debit card to another person sitting inside a vehicle in this undated file image. Four people from Ontario are wanted on 64 charges related to 18 incidents of taxi fraud that Calgary police say defrauded victims of more than $28,000. In 2024, between July 9 and July 14, Calgary police received 19 reports about taxi frauds that appeared to have been committed by an organized group. Police were able to identify two methods the group used to pull off the scams. The first one involved one member approaching strangers and pretending to be trying to pay for a cab. They would ask the stranger to help with the payment by using their credit/debit card as the taxi would not accept cash. The ride was for between $7 and $7.50 and the suspect would offer the stranger $10 in cash to use their debit or credit card. The second way was when a suspect driver accepted fares as a regular taxi. In both scams, the driver would hand the victim a terminal and say the tap function was broken, requiring them to insert the debit card. When the victim did that, they had to enter a PIN number, which the suspects may have captured on a skimming device. The suspects would also swap the victim's debit card for another stolen debit card. Once the transaction was complete, the group would use the victim's debit card at banks or stores, withdrawing money from ATMs or buying prepaid VISA gift cards. An investigation determined that the same type of scams took place in Edmonton, Toronto and Metro Vancouver. Police believe the suspects weren't licensed taxi drivers in Calgary. Investigators believe the suspects have left Alberta and are now possibly in Ontario, where they may live. All four are wanted on Alberta-wide warrants. Arvinder Singh, 24, is wanted on 17 counts of theft of a credit card and seven counts of fraud under $5,000. Martin Hudec Siron, 19, is wanted on 15 counts of theft of a credit card and six counts of fraud under $5,000. Ibrahim Kald, 24, is wanted on five counts of theft of a credit card and three counts of fraud under $5,000. Matthew Tani, 24, is wanted on four counts of theft of a credit card and seven counts of fraud under $5,000. Police advise people never to hand over their card and always keep it in their possession. They also recommend using mobile payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay, which offer extra encryption and protection. People should never let their payment card out of their sight when paying. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online or by downloading the P3 Tips app.
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- News.com.au
Queensland police arrest two alleged Mongrel Mob members on gang charges
A pair of alleged Mongrel Mob members have been arrested by Queensland Police after a search warrant was executed on a Loganlea home. Police found firearms, gang clothing and paraphernalia at a raid of the property on Tuesday. The men are, aged 27 and 44, and were each charged with 'recruiting persons to become participant in criminal organisation' and 'unlawful possession of a firearm'. Both members men were due to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Video from the arrest show officers breaking down the door before searching through the home. In a wardrobe officers pulled out multiple hoodies with Mongrel Mob logos. The Mongrel Mob is an organised crime group based in New Zealand with operations in Australia and Canada. One of the officers found what appears to be a makeshift firearm and remarked 'we've got a slam gun' as they pulled a shotgun shell from the device. Organised Crime Gangs Group Detective Inspector Craig Bowman said police were proactively targeting members of organised crime gangs. 'We are aware of the attempts by some groups to recruit and expand, and we are actively targeting these groups to prevent their actions impacting the safety of the community,' Detective Bowman said.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- The Guardian
Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr was a cartel henchman, Mexican prosecutors claim
The Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr was a henchman for the Sinaloa drugs cartel and used his skills to pummel rival gang members 'like a punchbag' before his recent arrest in the US, prosecutors in Mexico have alleged. Chávez, 39, son of legendary world boxing champion Julio César Chávez Sr and himself a former middleweight titleholder, was arrested in California on Tuesday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, who cited cartel affiliations, multiple criminal convictions and an active arrest warrant in Mexico for weapons trafficking and organized crime. Deportation proceedings are under way, Ice officials have said. The new details of his alleged crimes in Mexico were revealed in an indictment issued Friday by the country's office of the attorney general (abbreviated FGR for its Spanish name) – and reported by the newspaper Reforma via the online outlet The court filing states that Chávez was in the service of Néstor Ernesto Pérez Salas, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel known as El Nini, who directed him to beat rival gang members his group had captured. Salas would order the victims to be tied up then hanged from a ceiling, and Chávez Jr – who married the mother of a granddaughter of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán – would be directed to beat them as if they were punchbags he used during training for his boxing career, the document alleges. The information, the FGR said, came from phone calls intercepted between December 2021 and June 2022 using wiretaps. Additional evidence, including immigration records, was obtained from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Ice. According to immigration authorities, Chávez entered the US in August 2023 on a legally held visa, but it expired in February 2024. Chávez then applied for legal permanent US residency based on his marriage to Frida Muñoz, an American citizen. Muñoz's prior relationship with one of El Chapo's sons drew scrutiny from US officials. Though she has not been charged with any crime, in December 2024, Chávez was reportedly flagged in internal DHS documents as an 'egregious public safety threat', though his removal from the US was not prioritized. Despite that assessment and a criminal record dating back more than a decade, Chávez was allowed re-entry into the US at the San Ysidro port of entry in California in January under a discretionary parole process approved by Joe Biden's outgoing presidential administration. Chávez had been convicted of driving while intoxicated in California in 2012. And in January 2024, he was convicted of illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle. Chávez's most notable sporting feat was winning the World Boxing Council's version of the middleweight title in June 2011. The native of Culiacán, Sinaloa, successfully defended it four times before losing it in September 2012. His arrest on 2 July occurred in Studio City, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for its celebrity residences. He was detained five days after he lost to Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned boxer, in a lucrative, heavily promoted fight in Anaheim reported to have taken in $1.5m in gate receipts alone. The Trump administration has designated the Sinaloa cartel as a foreign terrorist organization. After Chávez's arrest, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of the DHS, criticized the Biden administration for not expelling or detaining him, despite an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition and explosives. 'It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and come back into our country,' she said in a statement. McLaughlin's statement said Chávez's status as a 'world-famous' athlete meant nothing to the Trump administration. 'Our message to any cartel affiliates in the US is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences,' the statement said. 'The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.' In its own statement, the Chávez family expressed 'total and unconditional support' for Julio Jr, who the document described as 'a son, a father and a human who has grappled with multiple challenges in his personal and professional life'. 'We are completely confident in his innocence and quality as a human – as well as in the justice systems of both Mexico and the US,' the family's statement said. 'We hope this situation will resolve itself according to the law and the truth.' On his X account over the weekend, Chávez's father – now a well-known commentator – republished a post from another user that asserted Julio Jr was in rehab. The post that the elder Chávez republished also denied Julio Jr belonged to a cartel. Ramon Antonio Vargas contributed reporting
National Post
07-07-2025
- National Post
Boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez defends son arrested by US immigration agents
As a professional, Julio Cesar Chavez fought 115 times in the ring. Now, the former world champion said he was ready to fight outside of it to defend his same-name son, who was arrested by U.S. immigration agents at his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. Article content The 39-year-old Chavez Junior also has an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged arms and drug trafficking and suggested ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Article content Article content 'It's complicated, there's a lot of talk, but we're calm because we know my son's innocence,' the elder Chavez told El Heraldo newspaper. 'My son will be anything you want, anything, but he is not a criminal and less everything he's being accused of.' Article content Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico's Attorney General, said on Sunday that the investigation against Chavez Junior started in 2019 after a complaint filed by U.S. authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking. Article content 'He knows a lot of people, we live in Culiacan, it would be impossible not to know all of the people that are doing illicit stuff, but that does not mean nothing,' Chavez said. 'In my time I met everybody, and they did not come after me.' Article content Chavez senior was considered one of the best Mexican boxers of all time; a world champion at three divisions. In the 1980s and '90s he was a huge celebrity who mixed with drug dealers. He claimed in the past to have been friends with drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Article content Article content Gertz Manero said Chavez Junior's lawyers have requested at least five injunctions in Mexico, which have been rejected because the boxer is still in the United States. Article content 'Lawyers in the United States are working to see if he stays there, and we're prepared if he comes here,' Chavez senior said. 'We'll fight under Mexican law if he's transferred here.' Article content The son's arrest came only days after the former middleweight champion lost to influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a bout in Anaheim, California. Article content The Department of Homeland Security said officials determined Chavez Junior should be arrested on June 27, the day before the fight. It was unclear why they waited to act for days after the high-profile event. Article content 'Why did they let him fight? My son has been paying taxes in the United States for three years, and now in Mexico they're accusing him of money laundering,' Chavez senior said. 'Yes, he knows those people, but that doesn't mean I'm a drug trafficker. Let's trust the law.' Article content
