While a number of vehicles are being stolen across Canada, various police forces are cracking down. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have recovered 598 vehicles before they were illegally exported as part of Project Vector. “Project Vector has disrupted the criminal networks that take advantage of the Canadian export market to sell stolen vehicles,” said OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns in a Wednesday press release. “These vehicles were destined to be exported overseas to markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.”Kearns confirmed the OPP will continue to assist police and justice partners in identifying, disrupting and dismantling organized crime networks involving vehicle crimes. The OPP pointed out the CBSA works with the Surete du Quebec (SQ), Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM), and Equite Association to search sea containers suspected of containing stolen vehicles. Of the vehicles recovered from sea containers in Montreal, it said three-quarters are identified as stolen in Ontario.The OPP and CBSA collaborated with the SQ, SPVM and Equite Association to assist with vehicle recovery and reduced the number of vehicles stolen in Ontario and illegally exported through ports of entry. This initiative was supported by joint forces operation partners, including police services in the Greater Toronto Area. Since December, the OPP said Project Vector has resulted in 390 shipping containers inspected and 598 vehicles recovered. It added the recovered vehicles identified as stolen in Ontario have a potential value of about $34.5 million. The police service that had the largest number of stolen vehicles reported to them recovered during Project Vector was the Toronto Police Service (TPS) (215 vehicles). After TPS was the Peel Regional Police (125). This was followed by the York Regional Police (58), the Halton Regional Police Service (19) and the Durham Regional Police Service (15). The recovered vehicles have been connected to various types of vehicle crimes, including carjackings and home invasions. Investigations into these stolen vehicles remain ongoing. Police services are responsible for continuing their investigations surrounding these vehicles and any ensuing arrests. CBSA Regional Director General, Quebec Region Annie Beausejour called auto theft “a growing challenge in Ontario, Quebec and across the country.”“The Canada Border Services Agency provides critical support to law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes,” said Beausejour. “The leadership of policing partners and their upfront, preventative and investigative work — within Canada and ahead of reaching our borders — is imperative to reduce auto theft.” SQ Deputy Director General, Criminal Investigations Benoit Dube said Project Vector “illustrates the strength of the partnership between all the actors involved in the fight against vehicle theft.”“Our ability to intervene on all fronts and adapt to new criminal networks strategies is demonstrated by our daily actions to disrupt their activities,” said Dube.“Collaboration between law enforcement, justice system partners and the private sector, such as Equite Association, is essential to our efforts to maintain public safety, and we value the important role each partner plays in achieving this mission.”Anyone with information about auto theft is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The House of Commons Public Safety Committee opened hearings on auto theft in February. READ MORE: Federal investigation into auto theft underwayThe probe came following complaints of poor policing at Canadian ports by the CBSA due to lack of staff and unreliable equipment. Industry estimates payouts on theft claims to be worth $1 billion per year, with some 70,000 vehicles stolen. They have included 38 government-issued vehicles.
