The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have recovered 598 vehicles before they were illegally exported as part of Project Vector.

The CBSA regularly works with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and Équité Association to search sea containers suspected of containing stolen vehicles. Approximately 75 per cent of vehicles recovered from sea containers in Montréal are identified as stolen in Ontario.

PATT and CBSA collaborated with the SQ, SPVM and Équité Association to assist with vehicle recovery, while reducing the number of vehicles stolen in Ontario and illegally exported through the ports of entry. This initiative was supported by PATT’s joint forces operation partners, including police services in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Since December 2023, Project Vector has resulted in:

·      390 shipping containers inspected

·      598 vehicles recovered, including 483 from Ontario and 115 from Québec

The recovered vehicles identified as stolen in Ontario have a potential value of approximately $34.5 million.

A breakdown of vehicles reported stolen to Ontario police services that were recovered as part of Project Vector:

·      215 – Toronto Police Service

·      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

The recovered vehicles have been connected to various types of vehicle crimes, including carjackings and home invasions.

Investigations into these stolen vehicles remain ongoing. Police services of jurisdiction are responsible for continuing their investigations surrounding these recovered vehicles, as well as any ensuing arrests.

Anyone with any information about auto theft is urged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca.