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A stolen Land Rover fraudulently purchased in Saskatoon and later tracked to Ghana is highlighting a growing trend of Canadian vehicles being stolen and shipped overseas.
Saskatoon police issued a release describing a months-long investigation that led officers to a stolen Land Rover that had travelled through British Columbia before ultimately ending up in the west African nation of Ghana.
The Saskatoon investigation began on Jan. 14, 2025, when a business in the 2300 block of Faithfull Avenue reported that a man from Alberta had purchased a Land Rover via alleged identity fraud.
With assistance from the Edmonton Police Service and the Canada Border Services Agency, investigators determined the vehicle had left Canada en route to West Africa.
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It was later confirmed the Land Rover was in Ghana.
Police allege the suspect was also involved in a second fraudulent vehicle purchase of a BMW X5 from another Saskatoon dealership. On Feb. 3, 2025, officers received a report from a business in the 3100 block of Faithfull Avenue.
Investigators allege the suspect travelled from Alberta to Saskatchewan and used a Quebec driver’s licence that had been altered after being lost.
The suspect was later arrested in Edmonton.
The 21-year-old suspect has been charged with fraud over $5,000, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of an identity document belonging to another person, fraudulently personating another person, using a forged document and breaching court-imposed conditions.
The case comes as police services across Canada continue to investigate vehicle theft rings that target high-value SUVs and trucks for export to international markets.
In Ontario, Niagara Regional Police recently announced that more than $5 million worth of stolen vehicles had been recovered as part of Project Jack Links, an investigation into organized auto theft networks operating across southern Ontario.
Investigators examined more than 50 thefts and attempted thefts involving newer-model Lexus and Toyota vehicles, with total losses estimated at roughly $20 million.
Police said numerous stolen vehicles linked to that investigation were recovered at the Port of Montreal and were allegedly being prepared for export to West Africa as well.
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