The Toronto Police say that information of hundreds of drivers in the province was transferred to suspects who are allegedly running a car theft gang in collusion with employees at ServiceOntario. The investigation, named "Project Safari," began in February aiming to identify and arrest suspects behind the "numerous" car thefts across the city.

According to a press release issued on Wednesday, investigators discovered that the suspects were conspiring with employees at ServiceOntario - a government agency where Ontario residents obtain driver's licenses, license plates, and other vital documents.

The police stated that an unknown number of employees leaked driver and vehicle data from the Ministry of Transportation, including hundreds of addresses, to the suspects.

The suspects, who the police say number seven, are alleged to have used that information to steal vehicles and link them to fraudulent vehicle registration numbers in a process known as VIN reassigning.

It is also alleged that these fake VIN numbers were provided by ServiceOntario employees.

Stolen cars were sold locally to unsuspecting buyers as used vehicles or were used to commit other crimes, according to the police.

On the other hand, investigators said they conducted 25 raid campaigns at homes, commercial garages, and ServiceOntario sites between July and October and confiscated numerous stolen and re-registered vehicles and equipment used to steal vehicles.

The police also said that officers seized nearly 1.5 million dollars in cash and luxury cars.

The suspects, all from the Greater Toronto Area, face 73 charges related to car theft and fraud.

Charges include fraud over $5,000, tampering with vehicle identification numbers, breach of trust by a public official, and trafficking in identity information.

The full list of suspects and the main charges against them can be viewed on the Toronto Police website.

In light of this important development, Toronto Police issued several tips for those buying used cars.

The police stated that buyers should conduct due diligence to obtain detailed reports on the car's history, and be cautious if the car has a different color or an inconsistent odometer.

It is worth noting that a professional car theft gang involved in scams and frauds against car insurance companies was arrested last week as this dangerous phenomenon has been increasing recently.