A holiday bust in Quebec’s Lanaudière region led to the discovery of stolen vehicles worth an estimated $1 million, provincial police said Thursday.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says information led police to warehouses last week in l’Épiphanie, located about 50 kilometres northeast of Montreal. A stolen SUV from Montreal was first found on Dec. 27.
“Warrants were obtained to check the entire lot and buildings,” police said.
Authorities then discovered an array of vehicles — most of which are believed to have been taken from the greater Montreal area — during raids that began last Sunday and lasted through New Year’s Eve.
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Some of the cars were already in shipping containers, according to police.
The SQ says five SUVs, a tractor unit and other “disguised” vehicles were seized during the police operation. Provincial and local investigators worked together on the case.
No arrests have been made as of Wednesday afternoon, but the investigation is ongoing. The SQ says anyone with information on criminal activities in Quebec is asked to call the SQ at 1 800-659-4264, which is a confidential hotline.
“Appraisals will be carried out on the seized material in order to link it to other theft files if necessary,” police said.
The bust comes as Canadian authorities work to stem the tide of auto thefts, particularly in Quebec and Ontario.
The country’s private auto insurers paid out $1.5 billion in theft claims in 2023, a record high, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. That year, vehicle thefts rose 50 per cent in Quebec and almost as much in Ontario.
Insurers have said the majority of vehicles are being exported through the busy Port of Montreal. Around 1.7 million containers moved through the port in 2023, including 70 per cent of Canada’s legal vehicle exports, according to port authorities.
The federal government estimates 90,000 cars are stolen each year in Canada and many of the thefts involve connections to organized crime.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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