Why has a Canadian port become a hub for exporting stolen cars?
The Canadian Press has reported on the situation at
Why is Montreal a stolen car export hub? Jurisdiction limits and size, officials say | National News | thecanadianpressnews.ca
https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/article_923eba54-3a88-5934-a09e-1bf766489319.html
The Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and is located on the St. Lawrence River, which flows from Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In 2023 alone, 1.7 million containers passed through the Port of Montreal, and 70% of Canadian export vehicles pass through the Port of Montreal. However, the Port of Montreal is also used as an export base for stolen vehicles, and a surprise investigation project called 'Project Vector' conducted from December 2023 to March 2024 found 598 stolen vehicles in approximately 400 containers.
Three-quarters of the stolen cars recovered by Project Vector were stolen in Ontario, including 125 stolen in Peel Region. Mayor Patrick Brown of Brampton, located in Peel Region, pointed out that 'the Port of Montreal's container inspections are insufficient, making the export of stolen cars a low-risk business for criminal organizations.' Mayor Brown also said, 'The United States uses scanning devices to inspect a higher percentage of containers than Canada. This is why criminal organizations avoid doing business in the United States. Meanwhile, in Canada, the container scan rate is less than 1%.' He argues that scanners should be added to the transportation hub at the Port of Montreal to reduce theft.
According to René LaRouche, a spokesman for the Port of Montreal, more than 800 investigators have access to the port. However, investigators need a warrant to open containers and inspect their contents. Therefore, even if the owner of a stolen car uses a GPS tag or other means to pinpoint that the stolen car is at the Port of Montreal, they cannot intervene without a warrant. Mayor Brown also pointed out this issue and called for a system reform that would allow investigators to enter customs control areas and open containers without a warrant.
Although LaRouche said that 'more than 800 agents have port passes,' Mark Weber, president of the Border Patrol Union, testified that 'as of February 2023, there were only eight agents working at the Port of Montreal, and the agent's management space was too small to store more than six stolen vehicles.'
Related Posts:
