Canadian police have recovered 598 vehicles valued at ₦39.7 billion ($34.5 million) from shipping containers heading to Africa and the Middle East, amidst a spike in auto theft. The bad news for owners of high-end vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is that the area is the number one target for thieves in the country. However, thanks to a multi-jurisdiction police initiative called ‘Project Vector’, investigators are making headway in the war on auto theft.
The project is led by the OPP and the Canada Border Services Agency and involves more than a dozen police forces, including Durham Police. Between December and March, they followed up on tips and opened nearly 400 shipping containers at the Port of Montreal, recovering 598 vehicles.
75% (483) of the recovered vehicles were stolen in Ontario, with the remaining 115 stolen from Québec. The recovered vehicles have been connected to various types of vehicle crimes, including carjackings and home invasions. Most of the stolen cars were destined for resale markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
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Nearly three-quarters of the recovered vehicles came from the GTA, including 215 from Toronto, 125 from Peel, 58 from York Region, 19 from Halton, and 15 from Durham. Organized criminal organizations, both local and international, are behind most of the thefts. Deputy Chief Dean Bertrim of Durham Police, who was at the April 3 Project Vector press conference in Montreal, stated that there are at least 78 organized crime groups involved in vehicle thefts in Canada.
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