An investigation into the numerous stolen automobiles in Montreal has revealed that the number of theft cases has spiked – and that the city continues to be a hub for criminal activity.
Data from the insurance crime group Équité Association noted that in Montreal, 9,591 vehicles were stolen last year. By comparison, 6,527 were stolen in the city in 2021. According to police, the most popular targets for car thieves include SUVs and pickup trucks.
These thefts not only hurt car owners but insurers as well. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the amount paid by insurers in Quebec surged from about $111 million in 2018 to $269 million within just the first nine months of 2022.
CBC News reached out to experts for its investigative report on Montreal’s auto theft cases, and the experts say that the city’s status as the largest port on the East Coast makes it the perfect hub for exporting stolen vehicles.
Global Automakers of Canada president and CEO David Adams told CBC News that while it is no secret that a large number of stolen vehicles are funnelled through the Port of Montreal, the question now becomes “how serious, or how bad does this situation have to become before the authorities really do something about it.”
Experts are also concerned that the new security technology in cars is ironically being easily bypassed by thieves. Thieves now employ high-tech tools to even remotely access or reprogram key fobs, explained Équité Association vice president of investigative services and former police officer Bryan Gast.
"The technology has evolved with the criminals being able to steal these vehicles and bypass those systems," the vice president said, adding that many of the thefts involve a high level of coordination along with the technology.
"Identifying the vehicles before they're actually exported out of the country is the preferred method but, obviously, we don't get them all," said Gast.
"We're starting to see Canada becoming a source nation for these thefts."
Last year, Équité Association published its annual report for 2021, noting that during the period it managed to recover over 1,000 stolen vehicles valued at more than $40 million from the Port of Montreal.
