Montreal Emerges as a Hub for Stolen Car Exports Due to Jurisdiction Limits and Size, Officials Explain

Between mid-December and the end of March, authorities inspected approximately 400 shipping containers at the Port of Montreal and discovered almost 600 stolen vehicles, primarily from the Toronto area.

This operation highlighted how Canada’s second-largest port has become a crucial hub for the export of stolen vehicles. Law enforcement attributes this to the port’s strategic location and high volume of container traffic. Despite efforts to combat auto theft, challenges such as jurisdictional constraints, staffing shortages, and organized crime continue to impede progress.

“It’s a significant port,” stated Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, an anti-crime organization representing insurance companies. Montreal’s port, with connections to the Greater Toronto Area, where many vehicles are stolen, provides a convenient location for criminals.

According to Mr. Gast, stolen vehicles are concealed in shipping containers in the Toronto region, provided with fraudulent documentation, including false customs declarations, and then transported to the port via rail or truck.

Mr. Gast’s organization participated in Project Vector, an operation led by the Ontario Provincial Police at the port, which recovered 598 stolen vehicles between December and March.

Aside from its strategic location, criminal elements exploit the high merchandise traffic moving through the port. Last year, about 1.7 million containers passed through the Port of Montreal, handling 70% of Canada’s legal vehicle exports. This volume surpasses the combined container traffic of Canada’s next two largest East Coast ports by a significant margin.

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Infiltrating their stolen vehicles within the legitimate flow of trade, car thieves can conceal containers holding the stolen cars among other legal shipments leaving Canada.

The Port of Montreal collaborates closely with law enforcement and border services. However, according to spokeswoman Renée Larouche, port officials can only inspect containers in cases of emergencies or to prevent environmental harm.

Over 800 police officers from multiple agencies possess access cards to enter the port and, with a warrant, open containers, explained Ms. Larouche. Nevertheless, only border officers can open containers without a warrant in customs-controlled areas of the port.

Three-quarters of the vehicles recovered during Project Vector originated from Ontario, with 125 coming from the Peel Region, known as the province’s car theft hotspot, as per local authorities.

Mayor Patrick Brown of Brampton in the Peel Region highlighted the lack of container screening at the Montreal port, making the export of stolen vehicles a profitable and low-risk operation.

Comparing the situation to the United States, Mr. Brown emphasized that American authorities utilize scanning equipment on a higher percentage of shipping containers, leading to reduced car theft incidents.

Mr. Brown urged the immediate utilization of the recently allocated $28 million in federal funding for the Canada Border Services Agency to purchase scanners for the Montreal port and the two Toronto-area shipping hubs. He also suggested granting police access to customs-controlled areas without a warrant or special permission.

Peel Police reported limited access to containers at the port during Project Vector due to the CBSA’s resource constraints, according to Cst. Tyler Bell-Morena.

Although the CBSA did not disclose the annual percentage of scanned containers, Annie Beauséjour, the agency’s regional director general for Quebec, assured that all flagged containers are inspected by border agents.

Highlighting the importance of vehicle recovery before they reach the shipping docks, she stressed that port interceptions are a last resort.

Due to resource limitations, the union representing border officers stated that the Port of Montreal lacks sufficient staff to adequately check containers filled with stolen vehicles, with only eight border officers present in February and limited vehicle storage space available, noted union president Mark Weber.

According to Anna Sergi, a criminology professor at the University of Essex studying organized crime, insufficient focus on export operations is a common issue in port cities globally. She noted that customs agencies prioritize imports over exports, leaving export inspections lacking.

Ins. Dominique Côté of the Montreal police refuted claims of organized crime involvement at the Port of Montreal with vehicle recoveries.

Mayor Brown expressed skepticism regarding claims of border agents’ limited capabilities and the absence of organized crime influence at Montreal’s port. He questioned the status quo that has benefitted organized crime networks in Canada.