York Regional police have laid 145 charges against 14 people following a $10-million fraud investigation.

“A search of a Markham address...led us to conclude there was a large, organized, criminal ring operating across the GTA, which was defrauding financial institutions, corporations, government agencies and insurance companies,” Det. Sgt. Mike Elliot said at a news conference Thursday.

Police raided one lab in Aurora that was allegedly operated by Vladimir Loginov, 39. Police say Loginov, who was found with 12 valid foreign passports, is accused of forging foreign passports which were used frauds totalling more than $10 million over a decade in the GTA.

The 14 suspects are accused of creating false passports, staging car crashes and leasing vehicles under aliases.  Two of the accused were convicted in court and deported.  Police are still looking for 20 additional suspects.

After executing five search warrants, officers seized $50,000 in cash as well as foreign passports, Ontario driver’s licences, official government stamps and equipment used to forge documents. They also found a vehicle, pontoon boat, two stun guns and a handgun.

“The investigation took about four months to complete,” Insp. Fred Moffat said at the news conference.

“These kinds of investigations are never simple,” Moffat said, praising the co-operation among police, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.