A group of Toronto men have been charged following a long-running police investigation into vehicle thefts and chop shops in southern Ontario.

The combined operation known as Project Enterprise began more than two years ago, after Toronto police, Niagara Regional Police and the OPP realized they had ongoing investigations with common threads.

In June of last year, police executed several search warrants in the Niagara region, months before final arrests were made this week.

Five men now face a total of more than 500 charges, with police alleging that the owners of two Toronto collision centres sold vehicles with forged safety credentials that were invalid.

Police allege that some of the cars sold at these collision centres were stolen while others were unsafe for the road.

The owner of a third Toronto collision centre is accused of importing a salvaged car from the United States and removing its vehicle identification number for use on a stolen car that was then sold to a customer.

A sixth individual was charged in the Niagara region, but those details were not immediately available on Thursday morning.

More than 100 stolen vehicles were recovered as a result of Project Enterprise.

Toronto police Insp. Gord Jones said the charges should send a message to would-be criminals that “they better think twice” about selling stolen or unsafe vehicles.

“Public safety is non-negotiable,” said Jones during a Thursday morning press conference in Toronto.

He said that members of the public should take steps to ensure the vehicles they are buying are both legal and safe.

“You want to make sure that you’ve explored all options with relation to what you’re purchasing,” said Jones.