78 stolen vehicles seized in Montreal port in one month as numbers continue to skyrocket

In just over half a decade, the number of stolen vehicles seized at Quebec's ports has almost quadrupled.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police.

The agency estimates the value of the vehicles at around $5.85 million.

That number is just under a quarter of the total number of vehicles the CBSA seized in Quebec in the entire year in 2018 (348), according to the agency.

The number of stolen vehicles in the province in 2024 should surpass last year's record-breaking numbers.

In 2023, the CBSA reported that 1,204 vehicles were seized, topping the 1,050 vehicles seized the year before.

With just over three months to go in the year, 1,061 vehicles have been seized in Quebec.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reported that the cost of insurance claims for replacing stolen vehicles skyrocketed in 2023 to $1.5 billion, and 2024 is likely to be similar.

The IBC said that between 2018 and 2021, auto theft claims averaged $556 million.

"Canada's auto theft crisis is also placing pressure on drivers' insurance premiums – as auto theft continues to increase, so do the associated costs," said IBC vice president Liam McGuinty. "Auto theft is not a victimless crime."

From 2018 to 2023, claims have increased by 56 per cent and the cost of those claims increased 254 per cent, according to the IBC.