Deputy commissioner Marty Kearns at the Ontario Provincial Police, left, talks with deputy chief Benoit Dube of the Surete du Quebec beside two recovered stolen vehicles during a news conference in Montreal, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Ontario Provincial Police and the Canada Border Services Agency say they've seized 598 stolen vehicles that were destined for export at the Port of Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
MONTREAL – Ontario Provincial Police and the Canada Border Services Agency say they’ve recovered 598 stolen vehicles destined for export at the Port of Montreal.
Police say 75 per cent of the seized vehicles, with an estimated value of $34.5 million, were stolen in Ontario.
OPP deputy commissioner Marty Kearns says no arrests were made but the investigation is ongoing.
Police say 390 containers at the port were searched during a joint operation involving border services, police forces in Quebec and Ontario and insurance investigators.
Kearns says the financial impact of the seizures on organized crime is significant and that some of the recovered vehicles were linked to carjackings and home invasions.
He says thieves are targeting vehicles like pickup trucks and high-end SUVs for export to markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2024.
