Nearly 600 stolen vehicles have been recovered from shipping containers at the Port of Montreal over the past few months as part of an investigation into interprovincial car theft operations, with 75 percent of them having been stolen from Ontario.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the results of "Project Vector" – an operation to recover stolen vehicles that arrived at the Port of Montreal and were intercepted before being illegally exported.

The operation ran from December 12, 2023, to March 9, 2024.

During that period, police opened hundreds of shipping containers to find stolen vehicles, mostly newer and advanced light trucks and SUVs. Police said that of the 598 vehicles recovered, 430 were stolen from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

This figure includes 215 vehicles reported stolen in Toronto; 125 stolen from the Peel area; 58 from York; 19 from Halton; and 15 from Durham.

Police said the value of the recovered vehicles is about $34.5 million.

Deputy Attorney General Marty Cairns explained to journalists at the press conference: "We have taken $34.5 million out of the pockets of organized crime. We send a message that we are here, active, and aware of the problem."

He said that many of the vehicles were also linked to various types of violent vehicle crimes, including car thefts and home invasions.

Cairns said: "For example, one of the recovered vehicles was linked to a car theft involving a gun." "Another vehicle was stolen from a driveway and then used to conduct a residential break-in only hours later. In another case, thieves broke into a home early in the morning, confronted the homeowners, and stole two cars."

Cairns noted that no arrests were made as a direct result of Project Vector, but local police forces continue to investigate many crimes related to the recovered vehicles and charges are expected to be laid.

The project was a partnership between the OPP’s Provincial Auto Theft Team (PATT) and the CBSA, in cooperation with local and regional police in Montreal.

Cairns said the reason for stealing so many cars in the Toronto area and sending them to Montreal for export to international destinations is a "geographical issue."

He explained that there is a "large supply" of luxury vehicles in the GTA and that the proximity of the 400-series highways makes it easy for thieves to transport vehicles to Montreal, where about 1.5 million shipping containers pass through each year.

While rail transport of stolen vehicles was not part of Project Vector, Cairns said there is "complete cooperation" with Ontario rail services to combat the problem as well.

Car theft has been an increasing concern over the past few years, and Cairns said police are "addressing this issue from all fronts" and are "seeing tremendous results."

Cairns added: "Although such stories cause concern for everyone, we want to assure Canadians that police forces across the country are working closely to identify those responsible for car crimes and hold them accountable." "We are working hand in hand with insurance companies, manufacturers, and all levels of government to develop long-term solutions aimed at significantly reducing the number of stolen vehicles each year."

He said the intelligence that led to Project Vector came from local police forces, and said the OPP’s Provincial Auto Theft Team works with community stakeholders, ports of entry, and international police agencies such as Interpol.

Cairns continued: "While we are proud of what we have accomplished as part of Project Vector, our work is not done yet." "We are developing new partnerships to strengthen the Provincial Auto Theft Team. We are deploying additional resources on the front lines to intercept stolen vehicles and making great strides in ongoing car theft investigations."

Where did the stolen vehicles come from?

Here are the details of vehicles reported stolen to Ontario police services and recovered as part of Project Vector:

· 215 – Toronto Police

· 125 – Peel Regional Police

· 58 – York Regional Police

· 19 – Halton Regional Police Service

· 15 – Durham Regional Police Service

· 13 – Ontario Provincial Police

· 12 – Ottawa Police Service

· 7 – Hamilton Regional Police Service

· 6 – Niagara Regional Police Service

· 5 – Waterloo Regional Police Service

· 2 – Woodstock Police Service

· 2 – Barrie Police Service

· 2 – South Simcoe Police Service

· 1 – London Police Service

· 1 – Guelph Police Service