Last year, in York Region, Canada, organized crime groups stole 5,000 vehicles, a significant increase from the 3,187 reported in 2022.
Since September, the authorities have successfully recovered 80 vehicles valued at over $5 million and confiscated theft devices employed by the culprits.
Toronto witnessed a surge in vehicle thefts, reaching 11,765, marking a 25% increase, as indicated by the Toronto police’s Major Crimes Indicator Dashboard.
Cars pilfered in the region, spanning the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, and Canada, were traced to overseas destinations.
The overall estimated cost of these thefts across the country is more than $1 billion (approximately ₦1 Trillion NGN).
The York Regional Police (YRP), the third-largest police service in Ontario, reported a notable rise in car thefts, with around 5,000 vehicles lost last year, a substantial increase from the 2018 average of 800 cars annually.
Detective Sergeant Pat Smyth, from YRP’s car theft unit, highlighted the concerning trend, stating, “that just tells you the current climate that we’re in [it’s] just increasing all the time.”
According to YRP’s car theft unit, auto theft has surged over 200% in the region over the last five years. The majority of the stolen vehicles from Canada were reportedly shipped to Africa or the Middle East.
As of December 4, 2023, a total of 4,294 vehicles were reported stolen in York Region, compared to 3,187 in 2022.
Organized crime groups operate across the region, the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, and Canada executing thefts and subsequently shipping the vehicles overseas. The financial toll of these thefts is estimated to exceed $1 billion across the country.
Since the initiation of “Operation Auto Guard” in September of the previous year, the unit has apprehended 56 individuals, charging them with 284 offenses. Additionally, they successfully recovered eighty vehicles, collectively valued at over $5 million, and seized theft devices used by the criminals.
While York Region recorded over 5,000 car thefts last year, Toronto experienced a significant uptick, with vehicle thefts rising by 25.4% compared to 2022, as per the Toronto police’s major crimes Indicator Dashboard, reporting over 11,765 thefts in 2023.
