Halifax Port Head Dismisses Cargo Scanners as Solution for Exported Stolen Vehicles
Scanning more shipping containers for stolen cars may do little to curb auto theft, as stated by the head of the Halifax Port Authority during a House of Commons committee meeting.
Allan Gray, the port president, appeared before the national security committee to provide testimony for a study on the increasing trend of car thefts.
Despite political figures like Ontario Premier Doug Ford advocating for more cargo scanners at ports to catch cars leaving Canada, Mr. Gray remains doubtful of this as a solution.
He expressed skepticism, stating, “Spending a lot of money on scanners may not fix the problem.”
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He elaborated that even if a shipping container containing a car is identified, it’s not a conclusive proof of theft if the shipping documentation is fabricated. Validating a stolen vehicle would require opening the container and confirming the VIN number.
During his five years at the Halifax port, Mr. Gray stated that he has never witnessed a car seizure.
An Équité Association report, prepared for a national auto theft summit by the federal government in February, revealed that over 70,000 cars were stolen in 2023 based on police data nationwide.
The report highlighted a 48% increase in stolen vehicles in Ontario, 58% in Quebec, and 34% in Atlantic Canada between 2021 and 2023.
Authorities mentioned that while some stolen vehicles are sold within Canada, many are transported out of the country by organized crime groups, often concealed in containers destined for Africa and the Middle East.
In a recent incident, the Canada Border Services Agency seized 600 stolen vehicles in Montreal, all en route to international markets.
In another case, 251 stolen Canadian cars were intercepted at an Italian port by RCMP officers in collaboration with Italian authorities.
Mr. Gray informed the committee that only a small percentage of shipping containers undergo export scanning, and even so, it might not be worthwhile.
According to Mr. Gray, enhancing data sharing among ports, terminal operators, and supply chains could lead to improvements. He emphasized the need to validate shipping documents for inconsistencies.
Moreover, he pointed out the inadequacy of security clearance systems at Canadian ports for screening employees. Mr. Gray mentioned the fragmented security systems across various ports, contrasting with unified systems in other countries that deter organized crime infiltration.
He emphasized, “The more you could do to validate the security credentials of people involved in handling the cargo along the chain, the more likely you are to reduce the number of trusted (criminal) insiders in the system.”
The auto theft summit held in February aimed to bring together governmental bodies, law enforcement, and vehicle industry representatives to address the escalating issue.
Prior to the summit, Ottawa allocated $28 million to the Canada Border Services Agency to increase its capacity for inspecting exported goods.
A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc affirmed that the Canadian government will continue to coordinate efforts to combat auto theft.
