News
Vehicle theft reaches a crisis level as Canada becomes a source nation for illegal trade

June 6, 2023, Toronto, Ont. – Équité Association has released its 2022 Vehicle Theft Trend Report, and for the first time in history, insurers lost over one billion dollars in stolen vehicles, which directly impacts Canadians at a time when inflation and affordability are putting excess strain on consumers.

The trend indicates that organized crime syndicates are looking at stolen vehicles in Canada as a low-risk/high-reward opportunity, regardless if the vehicles are for export or domestic sale. Illegal profit margins are very high, and the risk of prosecution is considerably low.

“There is no doubt that vehicle theft has reached a national crisis in this country,” said Terri O’Brien, President & CEO of Équité Association. “We know for certain that vehicles in Canada are being stolen by domestic and international criminal organizations. The proceeds are then being used to finance domestic drug trafficking, arms dealing, human trafficking, and international terrorism. These crimes hurt our communities, and puts Canada in the spotlight internationally as a source country for illegal trade.”

For those provinces where data was available, Canadians witnessed double-digit increases in vehicle theft in 2022, with the provincial breakdowns as follows:

• 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

The full 2022 Vehicle Theft Trend Report can be found here.