An extensive crackdown has led to the recovery of 598 stolen vehicles in Canada, authorities announced Wednesday amid a boom in auto thefts across the country.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said the majority of recovered cars — 483 of them — are from Ontario. They have a potential value of $34.5 million.
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The other 115 vehicles were stolen from Quebec, according to authorities.
The police operation, known as Project Vector, was done in collaboration with police forces in both provinces. Since December 2023, 390 shipping containers have been inspected.
The move comes after more than 30 arrests last month in both provinces in relation to stolen vehicles. Last week, nearly 50 cars were recovered in Toronto by authorities.
The federal government says an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen each year in Canada, resulting in about $1 billion in costs to Canadian insurance policyholders and taxpayers.
More to come.
— with files from Global’s Felicia Parrillo the Canadian Press
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