Between mid-December and the end of March, police inspected about 400 shipping containers at the Port of Montreal and found nearly 600 stolen vehicles, most of them from the Toronto area.
The operation showed how Canada’s second-largest port has become a key transport hub for stolen vehicle exports. Police say that’s because of the port’s strategic location and large container volume. And while authorities say they are doing what they can to stop the scourge of auto theft, experts say jurisdictional limitations, a lack of personnel, and organized crime are standing in the way.
“It’s a very large port,” said Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, an anti-crime organization composed of insurance companies. With rail and road links to the Greater Toronto Area—where many vehicles are stolen—Montreal’s port is “conveniently located” for criminals.
A Ontario Provincial Police investigator for more than 20 years, Mr. Gast said stolen vehicles are packed in shipping containers in the Toronto area, given falsified paperwork, including customs declarations stating the cargo is legitimate, and then shipped to the port by rail or truck.