Police seize 30 stolen vehicles in Montreal area; many cars found there are stolen in Ontario

Quebec provincial police have announced the seizure of about 30 vehicles and thousands of dollars in the Montreal area this week as part of their fight against organized vehicle theft in the province.

The anti-car theft effort in that province dovetails with similar police crackdowns in Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto and across the GTA as vehicle theft is a fast-growing concern for law enforcement in Ontario as well.

In fact, the GTA is the Canadian hot spot for stolen cars — in particular Mississauga and Brampton — and most vehicles stolen in southern Ontario are quickly moved to Montreal and the port there to be shipped overseas to eager buyers of the luxury vehicles in the Middle East and Africa.

Quebec police spokesperson Nicolas Scholtus says that following an investigation that began in March, investigators searched buildings and vehicles in the Montreal area on Thursday targeting a criminal gang exporting stolen vehicles.

In addition to the vehicles, police also found more than $17,000 in Canadian currency, some $35,000 US and a half dozen cellphones.

The busts were carried out by a mixed squad of officers from various police forces – including provincial police and Montreal police – tasked with fighting organized crime.

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Canada’s second-largest port has become a key transport hub for stolen vehicle exports, with police finding nearly 600 stolen vehicles, most of them from the Toronto area, in shipping containers at the port between December 2023 and March 2024.

Earlier this week, insurance fraud prevention group Équité Association reported a 36 per cent drop in stolen vehicles in the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period last year in Quebec, in part thanks to increased border patrol, police collaboration and government action.

— This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2024

— With files from INsauga.com staff