www.cbc.ca
Open in
urlscan Pro
23.39.174.210
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://click.convertkit-mail.com/lmunw2ml33smh0rv8qgcgudzqgv00/8ghqhohlxxqedrik/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2JjLmNhL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvYXV0by10a...
Effective URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/auto-theft-canada-1.6953242
Submission: On September 19 via api from CA — Scanned from CA
Effective URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/auto-theft-canada-1.6953242
Submission: On September 19 via api from CA — Scanned from CA
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form class="searchForm">
<div class="search-autocomplete">
<div id="gn-compact-search-suggestions-status" class="a11y" role="status" aria-atomic="true" aria-live="polite"></div><input id="gn-compact-search" class="searchInput" name="query" placeholder="Search CBC.ca" type="search" aria-haspopup="listbox"
autocomplete="off" autocorrect="off" aria-autocomplete="both" aria-controls="gn-compact-search-autocomplete" aria-describedby="gn-compact-search-autocomplete-assistiveHint" aria-label="Search CBC.ca"><span class="a11y"
id="gn-compact-search-autocomplete-assistiveHint">When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.</span>
</div><button class="searchButton">Search</button>
</form>Text Content
Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Menu
When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter
to select.
Search
Search
Sign In
QUICK LINKS
* News
* Sports
* Radio
* Music
* Listen Live
* TV
* Watch
* news
* Top Stories
* Local
* Climate
* World
* Canada
* Politics
* Indigenous
* Opinion
* The National
* Business
* Health
* Entertainment
* Science
* CBC News Investigates
* Go Public
* About CBC News
* Being Black in Canada
* More
* Business
* Health
* Entertainment
* Science
* CBC News Investigates
* Go Public
* About CBC News
* Being Black in Canada
This car was stolen from a driveway in Canada. We found it in West Africa | CBC
News Loaded
World
THIS CAR WAS STOLEN FROM A DRIVEWAY IN CANADA. WE FOUND IT IN WEST AFRICA
In 2022, there was a never-before-seen billion dollars worth of vehicles stolen
in Canada, and nearly all of them were exported overseas by organized crime. In
West Africa, where many of the vehicles end up, authorities are pleading with
Canada to stop the flow of stolen cars.
SOCIAL SHARING
* Facebook
0
* Twitter
0
* Email
0
* Reddit
0
* LinkedIn
0
AUTO THEFT CONSIDERED A 'NATIONAL CRISIS' IN CANADA, WITH NEARLY ALL STOLEN CARS
EXPORTED BY ORGANIZED CRIME
David Common · CBC News · Posted: Sep 06, 2023 1:00 AM PDT | Last Updated:
September 7
This car was stolen from a Toronto driveway in under five minutes. Months later,
CBC News journalists called the owner with stunning news: We found your car in
Ghana. (David Common/CBC)
The call from Ghana woke Len Green at the Toronto home where his prized vehicle
had been stolen a year earlier.
"I'm calling from CBC News," said the journalist on the other end of the
phone. "We're doing an investigation into stolen vehicles, and I'm pretty sure
I'm sitting in your vehicle … in West Africa."
"Whoa," he replied. "I can't believe it … that's crazy."
WATCH | We found your stolen car … in Africa:
CBC FINDS TORONTO MAN'S STOLEN CAR IN WEST AFRICA
14 days ago
Duration 2:00
CBC's David Common informs Len Green that his stolen car has been found in
Ghana, 8,500 kilometres from Toronto, where it first went missing a year ago.
In the same lot, journalists found dozens of other vehicles, some with Canadian
licence plates, often with their provincial registration and insurance documents
still in the glove box.
All had been reported stolen from Ontario and Quebec. In 2021, there were just
over 27,000 vehicles stolen from Ontario alone, according to a recent report by
the Canadian Financing and Leasing Association. That's a car stolen every 17
minutes.
* A major increase in auto thefts in 2022 has victims and industry experts
calling for action
* Here are the top 10 most commonly stolen cars in Ontario. What to do if yours
is on the list
"A large portion of them are leaving the country," said Det.-Sgt. Mark Haywood
of Peel Regional Police. "You'll see about 80 per cent of them going out through
the ports."
In 2022, police and insurers said there was a never-before-seen billion dollars
worth of cars stolen in Canada. It has the country's insurance industry warning
of much higher premiums on the most targeted vehicles, and of the potential that
some vehicles could be uninsurable.
This Ford F-150 truck was reported stolen from a Montreal suburb in late 2022.
Within months, it was seized in West Africa by organized crime investigators.
CBC News found the Quebec licence plate discarded in the bed of the vehicle.
(David Common/CBC)
'A NATIONAL CRISIS'
"There is no doubt that vehicle theft has reached a national crisis in this
country," said Terri O'Brien, president and CEO of Équité Association, which
investigates insurance fraud on behalf of member insurance companies.
Her organization points to surging rates of theft just in 2022:
* Ontario up 48.3 per cent year over year.
* Quebec up 50 per cent year over year.
* Alberta up 18.3 per cent year over year (after several years of decline).
* Atlantic Canada up 34.5 per cent year over year.
How the stolen cars end up abroad is a fascinating and evolving crime.
TO THE PORT OF MONTREAL, THEN GONE
Police sources tell CBC News that large, established organized criminal gangs
based in Montreal are behind most of the thefts, though it's become so
lucrative, other groups with less technical skill are becoming involved.
This partially explains what the police sources say is an increase in home
invasions and violent attacks to obtain a vehicle and its keys.
WATCH | Cars stolen in Canada often exported from Port of Montreal:
PORT OF MONTREAL BECOMING A HOTSPOT FOR STOLEN VEHICLES
8 months ago
Duration 2:32
An increasing number of vehicles stolen from across the country are turning up
at the Port of Montreal before they're shipped overseas. But police say
enforcement is a challenge given the size of the port and the volume of
shipments that go through it.
Small teams sometimes mark cars in mall parking lots during the day by using GPS
trackers similar to the ones people can buy and place in their luggage or on key
chains to track lost items.
Then, typically at night, they use the trackers to follow the marked vehicles
and take them from streets and driveways, quickly cramming multiple vehicles
into shipping containers, which are then moved by truck or train to the Port of
Montreal and loaded onto ships.
All this can happen in less than two days.
* With vehicle thefts spiking, authorities in Montreal try to crack down on
shipments overseas
* CBC Investigates
Was your car stolen? It may have left Canada through the Port of Montreal
The vehicles are often destined for Africa and the Middle East — everywhere from
Nigeria to the United Arab Emirates, Israel to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo — where they'll soon appear in local used car lots, be listed on TikTok or
sometimes be found in online classified ads with Canadian licence plates still
attached.
But it was in the bustling capital of Ghana where CBC News located dozens of
stolen vehicles. Many had been seized by authorities, while others were found on
car sales lots, in parking lots and beyond.
Officials from Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office uncover the dozens of
stolen vehicles they’ve seized over just a few weeks. Nearly every vehicle was
stolen from Canada before being shipped to Ghana and put up for sale at market
price. (David Common/CBC)
While driving in a motorcade with Ghana's Economic and Organized Crime Office
(EOCO), CBC reporters witnessed a Honda CR-V with Quebec licence plates drive
past. The driver quickly darted onto a side street.
Investigators surmised that the car was stolen, as that model is among the most
stolen in Canada, and had only just been unloaded from a ship.
WATCH | Cars stolen in Canada often end up in Ghana. Here's why:
WHY SO MANY STOLEN CARS END UP IN GHANA
13 days ago
Duration 15:39
A CBC News investigation tracks stolen vehicles to dealerships in Ghana and
breaks down why thefts are on the rise and what can be done — by officials and
drivers — to keep Canadian cars from ending up overseas.
THEFTS CAN HAPPEN IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
Most thieves use one of three methods of attack.
The first type is a relay attack, which involves "capturing" the signal of a key
fob, then replicating it to enter and start a vehicle. Thieves used to hold a
large antenna in front of a house door, scanning for keys left inside, but the
technology has advanced in the past year, becoming smaller and easier to use at
a distance.
Then there is the onboard diagnostic port, accessible via a small door under the
steering wheel in all vehicles. Typically used by a mechanic to connect a
handheld computer that can diagnose a problem, the access point is being used by
thieves to reprogram the car to understand a new key they've made for it.
A screenshot of surveillance footage in July 2022 captured three people trying
to steal a vehicle from a Toronto driveway in the early hours of the morning.
(Submitted by Patricia Li)
The latest attack method involves the Controller Area Network (CAN bus), which
acts similar to a nervous system for vehicles, enabling communication between
various components of the car. Thieves connect to one of multiple nodes from the
exterior of the vehicle, commanding it to unlock and start the engine.
The process may take only seconds.
"It's a weak point," said Natalie Cara of the CAN bus. She's seen her car, a
Lexus RX350, stolen three times in less than a year, the first time from her
Ontario home in 2022. It was later recovered and returned.
"I asked Lexus what they're doing about this and they said they're working on
it."
In an emailed statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Toyota Canada, which
owns the Lexus brand, said it is "deeply concerned" about the impact of theft on
its Canadian customers.
"We're continuously improving the security of our vehicles and we work closely
with law enforcement agencies to confront this industry-wide problem,"
said Philippe Crowe.
WATCH | How cars are stolen and what you can do to deter thieves:
HOW HIGH-TECH THIEVES STEAL CARS IN JUST MINUTES
8 months ago
Duration 7:52
Car thefts are on the rise across Canada, and it’s not just luxury vehicles
criminals are after. Ian Hanomansing reviews surveillance video with expert
Bryan Gast for a better understanding of how it’s happening and what you can do
to protect yourself.
In June last year, Cara happened to be looking out her office window in
Mississauga, Ont., when she saw three masked men bent over the front of her car
— and went out to confront them.
"Are you for real? What are you guys doing?" she recalled saying as they worked
to start her car.
One became spooked, apologized, and took off in what she later found out from
police was a stolen Porsche.
But Cara said the thieves had done damage, and her vehicle needed repairs. It
ended up being stolen two days later from the garage — though it was later
recovered.
Michael Rothe, left, of the Canadian Financing and Leasing Association, tells
David Common that a lack of enforcement has led to Canada falling behind in the
fight against the organized theft of vehicles for export. (Yanjun Li/CBC )
HOW TO STOP THESE THEFTS
"From our perspective, it's a lack of enforcement," said Michael Rothe of the
Canadian Financing and Leasing Association (CFLA), who argues Canada has fallen
behind in the fight against the organized theft of vehicles for export.
"We've become a global donor in stolen vehicles. When you compare certain
brands, there's more cars being stolen in Canada than there are in the U.S. …
that gives you the sense of the magnitude of this issue."
LISTEN | String of car thefts in Ontario result in international investigation:
Afternoon Drive7:57International investigation into string of auto thefts in
Southwestern Ontario
Windsor Police and the OPP have concluded a sixteen month investigation that
resulted in the recovery of 136 stolen vehicles across the region. The cars
being stolen were being exported overseas and sold to other criminal
organizations. 23 people are now facing 279 charges as a result of the
investigation. More information is shared by lead OPP investigator Andy
Bradford, and guest host Matt Allen is joined by executive director of Equite
Association's investigative services, Bryan Gast, about how to better protect
yourself against vehicle theft.
The CFLA is among many groups calling for co-ordinated action, including an
increase to the number of scanners used at ports to determine the contents of
shipping containers, as criminal groups typically mislabel the containers.
Équité Association is calling for a swift update to federal vehicle theft
prevention regulations. These rules have not changed since they were implemented
in 2007, before keyless and remote start technologies were introduced.
* Free signal-blocking pouches could be coming to thousands in Brampton amid
rise in auto thefts
* MARKETPLACE
Have a car with a push-to-start ignition? Here's how it could end up stolen
and overseas
According to Bryan Gast, of Équité Association, thieves can "easily exploit
these vulnerabilities, which has led to this significant increase in stolen
vehicles across Canada."
The organization wants to compel manufacturers to install effective anti-theft
devices in every new vehicle.
Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association,
looks on as vehicles seized at the port of Malta and returned to Canada are
offloaded in Montreal. (Michael Drapack/CBC)
"The rewards are very high and the risk is very low," said Deputy Chief Nick
Milinovich of Peel Regional Police. "We have anecdotal stories of people who
have stolen cars, walked out of court and stolen another car in the same parking
lot."
"It's much easier to sell 15 cars on the black market than it is to sell 15
kilos of cocaine or 15 illegal guns," said Det.-Sgt. Haywood, who added the
criminal gangs "are seeing that profitability."
GHANIAN OFFICIALS ASK CANADA TO STEP UP
The FBI sends regular intelligence on stolen vehicles to Ghana's EOCO, which has
moved to seize vehicles it can prove have been obtained illegally.
But that's not as easy as it may sound.
* Vehicle thefts have soared in Alberta — and the hottest targets might
surprise you
* Ontario spending $51M over 3 years to tackle auto theft
While the sellers of the vehicles are believed to be involved in the criminal
scheme, the buyers are not. They typically pay at least fair market value for
the automobiles, in a nation where all vehicles are imported from abroad.
"We are only in possession of the stolen vehicles," said EOCO's deputy director
Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah. "The victims, the place of the crime, it's all in
Canada."
Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah is the deputy director of Ghana's Economic and Organized
Crime Office. He's pleading with Canadian authorities to stop the flow of stolen
vehicles before they reach foreign shores. (Jared Thomas/CBC)
He says his investigators face regular threats from armed groups, and he's
pleading with Canada to stop the flow of these vehicles before they reach
foreign shores.
While the overwhelming majority of stolen vehicles they've identified come from
Canada, Dapilah says he's never heard from the RCMP on this issue.
"No Canadian agency has approached us directly or made a formal complaint
directly."
IN GHANA, THE VEHICLES MOVE FAST
Greg and Lynn Gannett managed to catch a glimpse of the thief that stole their
Lexus from their Oakville, Ont., home in 2022 while watching footage from a
doorbell camera — but it was hours after the car disappeared.
The police, Greg says, were blunt, telling them: "It's probably already on its
way to Montreal, going to Africa or some other foreign country."
David Common, left, shows Greg and Lynn Gannett a document in the driveway of
their Oakville home where their Lexus was stolen last year. CBC discovered the
VIN of their car listed on a document filed by Ghanian authorities after they
raided a car lot in Accra, Ghana. (Yanjun Li/CBC )
They were right. Months later, authorities in Ghana raided a suspect car lot in
Accra and marked down the Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) of the vehicles
for sale. The Gannetts' Lexus was among those vehicles, but its stolen status
had not yet reached Interpol, so authorities had no reason to seize it.
CBC News discovered a report on the suspect VINs filed by Ghanian authorities
and quickly engaged someone to examine the vehicles undercover. Scrutiny by car
lot workers meant he couldn't get close, but one vehicle he saw matched the
description of the Gannett's Lexus.
* GTA police recover 24 stolen vehicles worth $2.1M and destined for Dubai
* CBC Investigates
Why Torontonians are facing a 'staggering' spike in auto thefts — and what
police are doing about it
EOCO warns these dealerships make huge money in a poor country, and they're
willing to protect that lucrative arrangement with force — including by arming
their employees.
When CBC arrived at the dealership, the lot was full of late model Toyota
Highlanders, Lexus RX350s, Honda CRVs, Land Rovers and Mercedes, among other
cars on Canada's most stolen list.
WATCH | Brampton family fends off masked car thieves caught on video:
BRAMPTON FAMILY STOPS CAR THEFT IN DRIVEWAY AND CATCHES 1 WOULD-BE THIEF
1 month ago
Duration 2:14
CBC's Greg Ross reports on an attempted car theft in Brampton. Three masked men
broke into a home and stole a set of car keys. Two of the three take off. The
third man gets into a car in the driveway but cannot start it. He flees but is
chased by family members, tackled and pinned down until police arrive. Video
captured it all.
Employees were quick to push back, blocking the CBC News camera, confronting the
journalist and insisting they knew nothing about theft. But they also refused to
allow people to see the VINs of the vehicles to determine if they were stolen.
But the Gannetts' Lexus was already gone. Either moved to another lot or more
likely, EOCO told CBC, already sold and on the road — quite possibly with the
Ontario registration documents still inside.
Cars stolen from Canada very often still have the insurance and registration
documents of the original owners left in the glove compartment, even when they
are discovered by authorities in other countries. (David Common/CBC)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Common
David Common covers a wide range of stories for CBC News, from war to disrupting
scams. He is a host with the investigative consumer affairs program Marketplace,
and a correspondent with The National. David has travelled to more than 85
countries for his work, has lived in cities across Canada, and been based as a
foreign correspondent in the U.S. and Europe. He has won a number of awards, but
a big career highlight remains an interview with Elmo. You can reach David at
david.common@cbc.ca, Twitter: @davidcommon.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|Report error
FOOTER LINKS
MY ACCOUNT
* Profile
* CBC Gem
* Newsletters
* About CBC Accounts
CONNECT WITH CBC
* Facebook
* Twitter
* YouTube
* Instagram
* Mobile
* RSS
* Podcasts
CONTACT CBC
* Submit Feedback
* Help Centre
Audience Relations, CBC
P.O. Box 500 Station A
Toronto, ON
Canada, M5W 1E6
Toll-free (Canada only):
1-866-306-4636
ABOUT CBC
* Corporate Info
* Sitemap
* Reuse & Permission
* Terms of Use
* Privacy
* Jobs
* Our Unions
* Independent Producers
* Political Ads Registry
* AdChoices
SERVICES
* Ombudsman
* Corrections and Clarifications
* Public Appearances
* Commercial Services
* CBC Shop
* Doing Business with Us
* Renting Facilities
* Radio Canada International
* CBC Lite
ACCESSIBILITY
It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada
including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on
CBC Gem.
* About CBC Accessibility
* Accessibility Feedback
*
* ©2023 CBC/Radio-Canada. All rights reserved.
* Visitez Radio-Canada.ca
now
INFORMATION ABOUT COOKIES
Please know that cookies are required to operate and enhance our services as
well as for advertising purposes. We value your privacy. If you are not
comfortable with us using this information, please review your settings before
continuing your visit.
Learn moreClose
0