Canada keeps shampoo off planes, but not stolen SUVs off ships

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You can't take a bottle of shampoo larger than 100ml through security on a commercial flight, so how can you ship 4,000-pound stolen cars, luxury SUVs, or trucks across the ocean undetected?

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Is it okay for the media to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this question? Or should the oppositionist Pierre Polievre be blamed for daring to do so?

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We're not talking about sneaking a tube of toothpaste here or there.

Between 90,000 and 105,000 vehicles are stolen in Canada each year, most of which are now on European or African roads by stolen vehicle cartels. None of it is connected.

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But now, finally, the government has invited stakeholders to Ottawa on Thursday for a national summit on auto theft.

Better late than never.

“Car theft is an epidemic in this country,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiu told them.

Halton Regional Police Chief Steve Tanner, Peel Regional Police Chief Nish Durayappa and OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrick said the same.

But the government has not listened so far.

“Toronto has experienced a dramatic increase in auto theft over the past few years — more than any other city in Canada,” said Demkiw. “In 2023, over 12,000 cars will be stolen in Toronto alone.”

He explained that a car is stolen every 34 or 40 minutes every day.

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Many of these vehicles are loaded into containers, transported to the Port of Montreal, and then shipped overseas while our insurance rates skyrocket.

And there is no one responsible for this?

The government may use red-light cameras to fine drivers for protesting or freeze people's bank accounts, but when it comes to tackling organized crime, they appear to be at a dead end. International criminals can stay one step ahead.

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As the police make arrests, recover vehicles and dismantle car theft rings, our justice system provides almost immediate bail to the accused.

“We know that these stolen vehicles often leave Toronto and are sold to organized crime groups around the world,” Demkiw, deputy chief of Special Operations Command, told the conference.

“Car theft brings income. Demand is incredibly high. “Criminals migrate to an easy payday,” said Demkiv. “With less skill and less consequences, you can steal a car and get cash instead.”

The chief made it clear that he has seen an increase in car thefts and home invasions.

“I am very concerned about the increase in violence, threats and intimidation, where all types of weapons and firearms are used to steal vehicles,” Demkiw said. “I'm also concerned about the ability of the justice system to deal with repeat offenders.”

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The courts and the federal government dropped the ball. We've seen victims have their own tracking devices in their vehicles tracking their journey across the ocean and nobody can do anything about it.

I've written about cars sold offshore that still have Ontario plates attached. Now, with Trudeau and his help, $28 million has been raised to increase security at the port.

It's a start, but they need to spend that money wisely.

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The truth is, it's not that hard. Technology – from surveillance to drones to registration rules that make whoever locks a container responsible for all costs of lost or stolen cargo – is available to stop it all.

Just listen to Demkiu and Johnson, Tanner, Durayappa and Carrick. Let the thieves be locked up. When the police catch the bad guys, pay them. If they are not Canadian, deport them.

Set up state-of-the-art scanning equipment at ports or along rail and roadways, where they look at each container with the same fervor as truck driver Tamara Leach. Show real criminals how political prisoners are treated.

Passing all the costs to manufacturers and consumers to install additional monitoring devices is a matter of law enforcement.

The government must keep Canadians safe. This out-of-control seizure of Canadian assets by out-of-country criminal elements is due to a Liberal government that did not do this. It's their fault.

To fix this, take the same zero-tolerance approach that we do at airports when it comes to bottles of shampoo, perfume, and nail clippers.

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