Investigators who are part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into Canada’s auto theft crisis announced the recovery of 598 stolen vehicles since the investigation began last December.
“In Canada, a vehicle is stolen every five minutes,” said Bryan Gast, vice president of investigative services for Équité Association. “Auto theft has reached crisis levels in Canada.”
Auto theft claims have skyrocketed since 2020, up 319% nationally, which prompted the Ontario Provincial Police’s Auto Theft and Towing team to partner up with the Canada Border Service Agency to recover vehicles and intercept them before they’re illegally exported out of the country.
The ongoing investigation, which has been billed “Project Vector,” is being carried out in collaboration with the Sûreté du Quèbec, Montreal Police, and the Équité Association.
Representatives from each agency were present at a press conference in Montreal on Wednesday to give the public an update as auto thefts spiral out of control.
A vehicle stolen every five minutes means that about 135,360 vehicles have been stolen in Canada since the beginning of 2024.
“The majority of vehicles that organized crime groups are targeting to steal in Ontario and Quebec are newer and of greater value than in other provinces,” said Gast.
The CBSA, working alongside SQ, confirmed that after searching 390 suspicious sea containers in the Port of Montreal, 75% of the vehicles recovered had originally been stolen in Ontario.
“Project Vector has disrupted the criminal networks that take advantage of the Canadian export market to sell stolen vehicles,” explained OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns at the conference.
“These vehicles were destined to be exported overseas to markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.”
While the efforts of Project Vector may have made a disruption, there is still a long way to go, with Canada’s auto theft claims costs reaching $1.2 billion in 2022.
Ontario alone accounts for $700 million of that figure for a myriad of reasons.
In part, it’s the province’s dense population, with its high volume of targeted vehicles and its proximity to the Port of Montreal via the 400 series highway.
Unfortunately, bearing the brunt of the country’s thefts resulted in Ontario seeing over $1 billion in auto theft claims last year.
Of the 598 vehicles recovered under Project Vector, 483 were from Ontario and the remaining 115 were stolen within Quebec.
Still, those working on Project Vector feel that thus far, the investigation has been a success.
“We look at it from the aspect of taking $34.5 million dollars out of the pockets of organized crime. We are sending a message that we are here, we are active,” said Kearns. “And we’re not done. We anticipate arrests and charges in the near future.”
Legislative changes made in 2006 regarding engine immobilizers, noted Kearns, helped create a dramatic drop in stolen vehicles, however, the technology changed so quickly, and criminals were also quick to adapt.
True North Wire asked Gast if vehicles continue to be pursued by authorities after being successfully exported.
“Repatriation is another big component,” responded Gast. “Even though the vehicle makes it out of the country to its destination, it doesn’t mean it ends there. There’s extreme efforts to repatriate those vehicles, bring them back, working with the RCMP liaison officers, working with INTERPOL, working with police jurisdictions in an effort to cause that disruption.”
“It does not end if it leaves the country,” he reiterated. “There’s continued efforts to get every vehicle that has been stolen back.”
True North Wire followed up with Deputy Kearns on the likelihood of recovery past the point of the port.
“What’s the dropoff in recovery after that point, I imagine it’s pretty significant,” pressed True North Wire.
“It is,” replied Kearns. “But in mid-February the RCMP was successful in integrating the CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) system into INTERPOL. What that meant was as of February 13, all of the stolen vehicles that were entered into CPIC from all of the police jurisdictions were rolled into INTERPOL and they have access now to them.”
“So thousands of stolen vehicles [exported] from Montreal are then uploaded, which then alerts our foreign ports that the vehicle is stolen and gives them more tools to pick and seize the vehicles.”
True North Wire asked Kearns whether there was a line of communication with ports in Africa and the Middle East.
“RCMP liaisons are located in each of those countries and ports and yes we’re in contact with all of them,” said Kearns.
Project Volcano, a similar cross-province police investigation targeting auto thefts led to the arrest of 34 people last week.
All of the arrests were of people who’d previously been charged by Ontario police and released with a court date.
Auto thefts in Toronto have gotten so bad that residents in some higher-income areas in the GTA have started hiring private security to patrol their neighbourhoods.
The crisis levels authorities speak of have also led to a dramatic spike in auto insurance premiums.
“It’s important to note these dramatic losses have fallen squarely on the shoulders of Canada’s insurers,” said the Insurance Bureau of Canada in a recent statement. “At the end of the day, premiums follow claims costs.”
Premiums on commonly stolen models have increased anywhere from 25% to 50% since 2022, according to data from Rates.ca, a website that aggregates insurance pricing.
Certain models now come with a $500 high-theft vehicle surcharge.
