Police have shut down a suspected vehicle cloning and insurance fraud operation that pulled in over $625,000 and charges have been laid against a 54-year-old Calgary man.
Last June, officers with the Auto Theft Resource Team (ATRT) learned about a stolen F-150 that was re-vinned and sold to an unsuspecting buyer through Dave’s Auto Ltd.
Police say Dave’s was operating out of Bri-Tech Autobody, located in the 4600 block of 6A Street N.E., and that the VIN of a salvaged Ford F-150 was cloned and used to create a new, fraudulent Vehicle Identification Number.
During the investigation, police located a Toyota RAV4 that was reported stolen and also had a cloned VIN. The vehicle was sold to another unknowing buyer through an Alberta numbered company, which also operated out of Bri-Tech.
Investigators believe that the F-150 and RAV4 were part of an insurance scam that involved false reports to insurance providers about theft and vandalism. The vehicles were then allegedly taken to Bri-Tech for repairs that were never done.
Police say the re-vinning and false insurance claims happened over a three year period, between August 2014 and June 2017.
Five luxury vehicles were also believed to be fraudulently registered to the same Alberta numbered company between December 2016 and July 2017.
Investigators think the three BMWs, a Mercedes Benz and a Range Rover were purchased legitimately in Edmonton and then exported out of Canada. It is believed that the VINs of the five vehicles were then used by the numbered company to acquire fraudulent registration and licence plates.
Two of the fake licence plates and registrations were then used to hide two stolen luxury vehicles that were eventually recovered in Ontario.
Baltej “Dave” Dhaliwal, 54, of Calgary, is charged with three counts of fraud over $5,000.
Police say the total value of the offences is at least $625,000.
