Alberta RCMP charge 5 in probe tied to over 80 vehicles worth about $6 million

Alberta RCMP say five people have been arrested and charged after a multi-year investigation into vehicle theft and automotive fraud. In a Nov. 4 update from Edmonton, police said investigators linked more than 80 stolen, fraudulently obtained or illegally exported vehicles to the alleged enterprise, with an estimated value of about $6 million.

The count excludes government vehicles that police say were fraudulently obtained. The investigation began in June 2024 and identified a network involved in vehicle theft, re-vining, resale and overseas exports, as well as insurance fraud, according to the RCMP.

In November 2025, investigators discovered the group had received potentially hundreds of government vehicles intended for disposal under false pretences, police said. The vehicles were exported or resold in Canada instead of being salvaged.

Starting in spring 2025, GC Surplus had contracted Penny Metal recycling to destroy 950 decommissioned RCMP vehicles. Police said there was no indication when the contracts were awarded that the vehicles would be handled contrary to the agreements.

Police executed multiple search warrants between December 2025 and March 2026, recovering several stolen vehicles and seizing more than four million illegal cigarettes. The cigarettes had an illicit value of more than $1 million, according to the RCMP.

Five people charged

• Mohamed Mark Hajar, 41, of Edmonton, is charged with 11 counts of trafficking in property obtained by crime and eight counts of smuggling under the Customs Act.
• Peter Huy Nguyen, 41, of Edmonton, is charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000.
• Jamal Andy Ghnaim, 34, of St. Albert, is charged with theft over $5,000, obtaining property under a false pretence, trafficking in property obtained by crime and fraud over $5,000.
• Ghassan Fayad, 47, and Hamzee Fayad, 41, both of Edmonton, are each charged with possession of unstamped tobacco.

Hajar was summoned to court on Nov. 16, 2026. Nguyen was released with an Edmonton court date on the same day. Both Fayads were released to appear in court at later dates, police said.