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Four Quebec residents have been charged with conspiracy and theft following an Ottawa Police Service investigation into an alleged operation that used an unmarked tow truck to steal vehicles.
A news release issued Friday said a 22-year-old from Delson, Que., and two men aged 23 and 24 from Les Cedres, Que., had been arrested, while a warrant had been issued for a 23-year-old from Salaberry-De-Valleyfield, Que.
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Charges included varying numbers of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, theft of a motor vehicle and attempted theft of a motor vehicle.
In February, police responded to the area of Isabella and Elgin streets in Centretown, where a caller suspected that their vehicle was being stolen. The caller observed the vehicle, parked on the street, being hooked up to a tow truck.
Responding officers located a white, unmarked tow truck and pulled it over. The driver was arrested and, through investigation, was linked to an organized auto theft group from the Montreal area.
The group used an unmarked tow truck to steal vehicles from public locations, police said, and was also responsible for stealing a front-end loader.
There are five ongoing investigations in Ottawa involving the same driver and his accomplices, the police statement added. Investigators believe there could be other similar incidents, it said.
The three men who were apprehended were to appear in court at later dates, police said.
Anyone with information about these or similar incidents was asked to contact the lead investigating officer at 613-236-1222 extension 8934.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or online at crimestoppers.ca.
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