Officials with the province, MPI and Winnipeg police speak at a news conference on Friday, January 31, 2025, to reveal details on Project Buyer Bee Aware. (MPI / HANDOUT)
Winnipeg police and Manitoba Public Insurance investigators have dismantled a sophisticated vehicle identification number (VIN) cloning operation linked to organized crime.
Dubbed Project Buyer Bee Aware, the investigation began in February 2024 when MPI’s Special Investigations Unit and Winnipeg police identified an individual using associates to register out-of-province vehicles in Manitoba. Further investigation revealed at least one vehicle had a cloned VIN, matching a legitimate car in another jurisdiction.
Authorities uncovered a scheme in which high-end stolen vehicles from Ontario were given fraudulent VINs and resold in Winnipeg through dealerships, online platforms, and a commercial business.
The operation, led by 23-year-old Winnipeg resident Mohamad Kasem, resulted in 68 charges against him. Stolen vehicles worth over $1 million were seized, including those sold to unsuspecting customers.
Search warrants executed in Winnipeg and Springfield on April 17 led to the discovery of equipment used to alter VINs.
“This was a highly sophisticated operation working on many different levels. Our investigators did an incredible job piecing this together with MPI and disrupting this ring and this criminal network,” said WPS Superintendent Cam Mackid, in a release.
The investigation continues.
