Are car dealership employees linked to auto thefts in Canada? CTV News investigates

Data from Statistics Canada suggests that a vehicle is stolen every five minutes in the country. Now, police are investigating whether there's a connection between when and where a vehicle was last serviced, and the date it was stolen, they revealed to CTV National News.

Data from Statistics Canada suggests that a vehicle is stolen every five minutes in the country. Now, police are investigating whether there’s a connection between when and where a vehicle was last serviced, and the date it was stolen, they revealed to CTV National News.

Victims and police share that it is one of the first questions authorities in Toronto ask when someone reports their vehicle stolen.

It’s an "important" piece of information, according to superintendent Steve Watts, the commander of the Organized Crime Unit with the Toronto Police.

"If there’s multiple customers from the same dealership, then that's obviously starting to create a bit of a pattern, so that’s going to inform part of the investigation moving forward,” adds Watts.

CTV News spoke to a number of auto theft victims who insist there's a concerning connection between when their vehicles last went in for service and when they were stolen.

They say their vehicles -- mainly luxury Land Rover and Range Rover SUVs -- were stolen anywhere from two days to a month from their most recent service appointment.

James, who asked we only use his first name to protect his family and his identity, brought his Land Rover in for service in Toronto in early May. On June 20, it was stolen from his driveway.