National action plan on combatting auto theft

Introduction

Auto theft is a complex problem that requires manufacturers, insurance companies, shippers, law enforcement agencies and governments to work together to identify solutions. Each partner has a role in making it harder to steal vehicles, recover stolen vehicles, prevent their exportation, and apprehend the perpetrators of these crimes.

Canada is not alone in experiencing a rise in vehicle theft. It is an increasingly transnational criminal phenomenon that requires international and cross-jurisdictional collaboration.

The National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, held on February 8, 2024, brought together senior officials from federal, provincial and territorial governments, law enforcement and industry representatives. Following the conclusion of the Summit, participants endorsed a Statement of Intent, committing to work together to combat auto theft and to finalizing an action plan.

The National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft (Action Plan) launched May 20, 2024, outlines actions focused on disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting the organized crime groups behind auto theft. The Action Plan identifies various measures and initiatives that will be carried out by the federal government in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments and their partners, in accordance with their respective roles, priorities and responsibilities. It will be continuously reviewed and updated to be responsive to the evolving tactics employed by criminal networks.

Concerted efforts undertaken to combat auto theft since the beginning of 2024 are showing positive results.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) continues to examine containers destined to export. The CBSA intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in 2025. As of April 30, 2026, the CBSA intercepted an additional 386 stolen vehicles in 2026.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is processing international notifications and requests received through INTERPOL's stolen motor vehicle database to better track stolen vehicles with international partners.

The CBSA and the RCMP are directly supporting ongoing joint investigative and intelligence teams with police in Ontario and Quebec, including Project VECTOR, Project RECHERCHER and Project EMISSION.

The CBSA has responded to 881 requests for information from law enforcement to aid in investigations and criminal proceedings in 2026, as of April 24, 2026.

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has provided a total of 21 financial intelligence disclosures to law enforcement in support of their investigations between June 1, 2025 and of April 30, 2026.

This page will be updated to reflect progress made under the Action Plan. The fourth update is now available, and includes actions taken from June 2025 to April 2026.

Intelligence or information sharing responsibilities

Canada Border Services Agency

• Enhance customs information and intelligence sharing to support municipal and provincial police forces.
• Engage all partners in the export trade, such as port authorities, shipping lines and rail operators, to develop actionable intelligence on stolen vehicles.
• Engage foreign border services, such as the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Border Five and FRONTEX, for collaboration, best practices and technology solutions.
• Review existing legislation and regulations to identify and reduce barriers to information sharing.

Status as of April 2026

• The CBSA continues to respond to requests for information from police of jurisdiction (POJs). Since the beginning of 2026, CBSA has responded to 881 requests as of April 24, 2026. In 2025, the CBSA responded to 3,877 requests for information related to vehicles.
• The CBSA continues to share available Import/Export Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) data with external partners, such as Équité and Carfax, to help prevent fraud related to vehicles.
• The CBSA is exploring the creation of a regulatory framework to enable the systematic disclosure of limited customs information (e.g., VINs) to eligible recipients, including private‑sector entities, that are not currently authorized under section 107 of the Customs Act.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

• Deliver Canadian Police College courses on auto theft investigative techniques, to municipal, provincial, and federal levels of law enforcement.
• The RCMP continues to strengthen active international cooperation with foreign law enforcement partners through the RCMP's international network.

Status as of April 2026

• The Canadian Police College held two sessions of its 5-day course for law enforcement personnel and investigators on specialized vehicle theft investigative techniques in April and September 2025. Two additional offerings of this course are planned for May and August 2026. The College also consistently delivers a course on organized crime that includes vehicle theft investigations as part of the curriculum.
• In June 2025, the RCMP's Federal Policing Criminal Operations - Financial Crime program, with the assistance of INTERPOL Ottawa and CBSA, launched Project NoCargo to disrupt organized crime groups and prevent the export of fraud vehicles from Canadian marine ports. These efforts have disrupted organized crime networks and developed intelligence for future investigations.

Joint responsibilities of the Canada Border Services Agency and Royal Canadian Mounted Police

• The CBSA and the RCMP continue to be active members of multiple active auto theft operations and joint task forces across the country led with key provincial and municipal police services and will continue to participate in new partnerships as they emerge.

Status as of April 2026

• The CBSA continues to be an active partner in various auto theft operations and joint task forces across the country led by key provincial and municipal police services.
• The CBSA is working closely with the RCMP to identify vehicles that have been fraudulently financed and prevent the export of vehicles linked to criminal offences.
• The CBSA and the RCMP continue to directly support ongoing joint investigative and intelligence teams with police in Ontario and Quebec, including Project VECTOR, Project RECHERCHER and Project EMISSION.
• The RCMP's role in combatting auto theft is evolving. Its efforts have shifted from direct involvement with joint investigative and intelligence teams to supporting auto theft priorities with the Sûreté du Québec and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal through secondment duties.
• The RCMP's international network continues to work closely with domestic and international partners on combatting transnational organized crime involvement in auto theft.

Public Safety Canada

• Establish and lead a National Intergovernmental Working Group on Auto Theft with federal, provincial, and territorial governments to coordinate actions, monitor progress, and explore new initiatives that may be undertaken at all levels for a multi-faceted approach to combatting auto theft.

Status as of April 2026

• Public Safety Canada continued engaging provincial and territorial counterparts at the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Meetings of Justice and Public Safety in June and October 2025, sharing updates on federal action on combatting auto theft.
• Public Safety Canada supported international engagement with the United Kingdom Home Office and participated in the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) Acquisitive Crime Conference 2026: Tackling Organised Vehicle Theft, sharingCanada's coordinated approach to tackling this ongoing crime.

Joint responsibilities of the Canada Border Services Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police

• Strengthen existing ways of sharing intelligence and information among law enforcement and public safety partners by:
  • Dedicating federal resources to the provincially led Auto Theft Joint Intelligence Group, with key police forces and leveraging private sector collaboration;
  • Using the CISC network, to provide actionable intelligence, and the Canadian Integrated Response to Organized Crime (CIROC), to coordinate national operational approaches to organized crime, including vehicle theft.

Status as of April 2026

• The CBSA continues to provide embedded intelligence resources to the Auto Theft Joint Intelligence Group (JIG) and regularly collaborates with individual Police Office Jurisdictions across Canada to share intelligence and respond to requests for assistance.
• To support the sharing of intelligence, the CBSA responded to 3,877 requests for information from law enforcement in 2025. In 2026, the CBSA has responded to 881 requests as of April 24.
• The RCMP continues to participate in intelligence and information-sharing, including through the Joint Intelligence Group associated with Project Vector, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) and the Canadian Integrated Response to Organized Crime (CIROC).
• National Central Bureau Ottawa continued to share information and intelligence with Canadian and foreign law enforcement agencies on transnational vehicle crime.

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

• Continued efforts to strengthen Canada's Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing (AML/ATF) regime, including supervising implementation of AML/ATF measures and reporting by regulated sectors to FINTRAC, which in turn can lead to useful financial intelligence to address money laundering and proceeds of crime linked to auto-theft, will support overall efforts by law enforcement to address auto-theft in Canada.

Status as of April 2026

• FINTRAC disclosed 21 unique financial intelligence disclosure packages to law enforcement in support of investigations between June 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026.

Transport Canada

• Encourage provinces and territories to take steps to combat "revinning," or the use of fraudulent vehicle registrations to re-sell stolen vehicles. This could include investments to enable comprehensive data sharing across jurisdictions through the existing Interprovincial Record Exchange (IRE).

Status as of April 2026

• The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) Task Force on Stolen Vehicles tabled its final report with the Council of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety on June 20, 2025, where it was accepted.
• Provinces and territories are committed to implementing the final report's recommendations, including full participation in the Interprovincial Records Exchange (IRE) and adopting best practices, where feasible, to strengthen internal processes and mitigate vehicle theft. In addition, CCMTA has created a Vehicle Strategy and Safety Initiatives (VSSI) Program Committee that will serve as the focal point for work on best practices.

Ontario

Status as of April 2026

• The Preventing Auto Thefts Grant was established in 2023 with an investment of $18 million over three years to help police services combat and prevent auto theft, while protecting communities and keeping people and their property safe.
• Included in the May 2025 provincial budget, Ontario invested $57 million to purchase two new helicopters to support the Niagara Regional Police Service and the Windsor Police Service with increased patrols, security and enforcement at key entry points at the United States border.
• Since 2019-2020, Ontario's Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy (GGVRS) has resulted in seizures of over 1,212 firearms, more than 3,025 vehicles, $27.16 million in currency and more than 17.42 tonnes of illicit drugs with a street value of approximately $734.13 million, resulting in over 23,160 charges.

Manitoba

Status as of May 2025

• In January 2025, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) Commercial Stolen Auto Unit (CSAU) dismantled a major VIN cloning auto theft operation, using advanced technology developed by MPI's Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to analyze VIN and vehicle data. The operation, named Project Buyer Bee Aware, focused on high-end stolen vehicles from Ontario that were re-registered in Manitoba and sold through local dealerships and online platforms. The investigation combined this technology-driven data analysis with surveillance and public tips, resulting in the seizure of 17 vehicles worth over $1 million and the arrest of a Winnipeg resident.

Intervention

Canada Border Services Agency

• Enhance collaboration with port authorities, rail and shipping partners to expand export cargo container examinations, including the deployment of scanning and detection technology in new locations (e.g., rail yards).
• Integrate the use of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to better target containers with suspected stolen vehicles.
• Invest $28 million to bolster efforts in combatting auto theft by:
  • Hiring new frontline Border Service Officers and deploying them to ports, railyards and intermodal hubs to expand examination capacity in response to intelligence developed by the CBSA and law enforcement.
  • Dedicating new resources to intelligence and targeting capabilities specific to stolen vehicles.
  • Identifying and testing new Detection Technology tools to expand capacity to screen containers for stolen vehicles.
  • Leveraging data from interdictions of stolen vehicles and use AI to predict location of suspected stolen vehicles, as well as complicit entities within the supply chain of the export of stolen vehicles.
• Continue to explore, test and if effective at deterring, procure new detection technologies for improved stolen vehicle interdiction, with a particular focus on existing mobile technology.

Status as of April 2026

• The Request for Proposal for Mobile Backscatter (MBI) Systems closed on March 31, 2026 with an anticipated award date of May 29, 2026. The CBSA is planning to purchase and deploy 6 MBI systems in 2026-27 after contract award.
• The CBSA has evaluated several Bluetooth detection devices and identified a suitable model to pilot in the field. The findings will be presented to the project office of primary interest (OPI). A concept of operations and test plan will be developed. The CBSA intends to purchase 4 units to allow for piloting and testing in multiple modes.

Joint responsibilities of the Canada Border Services Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local police

• Ongoing: Increase export examinations at port, rail and intermodal facilities to disrupt the export of stolen vehicles.
• Ongoing: Maintain CBSA's 100% response rate for intelligence received from law enforcement to conduct container examinations.
• Develop and implement a "GPS tracking protocol" for auto theft victims to share location data of stolen vehicles with relevant authorities for safe retrieval.

Status as of April 2026

• The CBSA continues to act as the 24/7 central point of contact for Police of Jurisdiction (POJs) to coordinate requests to locate vehicles that may be tracked to a marine port or intermodal facility.
• The CBSA continues to maintain CBSA's 100% response rate for intelligence received from law enforcement to conduct container examinations.
• The CBSA continues to examine containers destined to export. CBSA intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in 2025. As of April 26, CBSA intercepted an additional 386 stolen vehicles in 2026.
• In 2024, the RCMP and CBSA formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the use of technology at the Greater Toronto Area Train Yards. The MOU has increased export cargo container examinations in new locations through the deployment of trained officers to support the continued operation of an RCMP-owned mobile Backscatter X-ray and Vehicle Screening System. So far in 2026, over 1,400 containers have been scanned using this technology.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

• Connect Canada's stolen motor vehicle records from the Canadian Police Information Centre to INTERPOL's Stolen Motor Vehicle Database.
• Ongoing work to respond to international requests about Canadian stolen vehicles on the INTERPOL Stolen Motor Vehicle Database and monitor for trends.

Status as of April 2026

• The RCMP INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Ottawa continues to process thousands of international notifications and requests received through INTERPOL's Stolen Motor Vehicle database. Since connecting Canada's stolen motor vehicle records from the CPIC to INTERPOL's Database, this information has supported the identification of stolen vehicle trafficking routes and international enforcement action.

Public Safety Canada

• Invest $9.1 million over three years in municipal and provincial police services to improve their capacity to provide timely referrals, information and actionable intelligence to the CBSA, as well as take custody of stolen vehicles intercepted by CBSA.
• Invest $3.5 million over three years to support INTERPOL in combatting transnational organized vehicle crime.
• Through the National Crime Prevention Strategy, continue investing $51 million per year in community-based prevention initiatives for youth-at-risk for future involvement in the criminal justice system, including to prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs.
• Prioritize new project funding under the Youth Gang Prevention Fund for community-based initiatives that prevent at-risk youth form joining gangs and divert them from future involvement in criminal and anti-social activities, such as youth delinquency, auto theft, substance use and gun violence.
• Continue investing $390 million over five years to support provinces and territories through the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence to address the increased links between gun and gang violence and auto theft.

Status as of April 2026

• Starting in 2026-27, the Government of Canada will be investing to expand key targeted community safety programs, including $165.4 million over three years to Public Safety Canada for the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) and the proposed $75 million over five years to Public Safety Canada for the Canada Community Security Program (CCSP).
• Public Safety Canada is advancing new approaches to community safety, including Community Safety Pilots.

Transport Canada

• Work with public safety partners to identify high-risk Port facilities and conduct targeted security assessments for potential vulnerabilities.
  • Revise and validate security plans for high-risk container facilities.

Status as of May 2025

• The targeted security assessments are complete, along with the security plan revisions and follow-up inspections to verify compliance.
• The cargo security portion of marine facility security assessments will be updated for future reviews of all container terminals, as part of their regular recertification process.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

• Leverage existing programs to support innovation solutions for vehicle protection.

Status as of April 2026

• Projects under Phase 1 of the Vehicle Theft Prevention challenge are complete.
• All 8 recipients were invited to submit a proposal under Phase 2 of the challenge to develop and test a prototype of their innovation.
• On February 4, 2026, all three projects recommended under Phase 2 of Vehicle Theft Prevention Challenge were approved for funding. A total of $1,609,795 in grants was disbursed.
• Phase 2 projects have commenced and are expected to be completed within the next year.

Ontario

Status as of April 2026

• The Preventing Auto Thefts Grant was established in 2023 with an investment of $18 million over three years to help police services combat and prevent auto theft, while protecting communities and keeping people and their property safe.
• An investment of $57 million was made to purchase two new helicopters to support the Niagara Regional Police Service and the Windsor Police Service with increased patrols, security and enforcement at key entry points at the United States border.
• Since 2019-2020, Ontario's Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy (GGVRS) has resulted in seizures of over 1,212 firearms, more than 3,025 vehicles, $27.16 million in currency and more than 17.42 tonnes of illicit drugs with a street value of approximately $734.13 million, resulting in over 23,160 charges.

Manitoba

Status as of May 2025

• The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) continues to operate the Commercial Stolen Auto Unit (CSAU). This unit was developed over 15 years ago to combat the growing issue of auto theft in the city. The CSAU works closely with other agencies, including Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), with a focus on preventing thefts, investigating incidents, and providing support to those affected by stolen vehicles.

Legislation, regulations, and governance

Justice

• Amend the Criminal Code to provide additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to address auto theft. These include:
  • New criminal offences related to auto theft involving the use of violence or links to organized crime; possession or distribution of an electronic device for the purposes of committing auto theft; and laundering proceeds of crime for the benefit of a criminal organization.
  • A new aggravating factor at sentencing if an offender involved a young person in committing an offence under the Criminal Code.
• Examine effectiveness of legislative tools to respond to auto theft and develop new responses if required.
• Announcing the government's intention to amend the Criminal Code to strengthen bail and sentencing laws stricter to respond to the severity of auto theft, break and enter, extortion, and arson crimes committed by repeat, violent, and organized crime offenders as part of the 2024 Fall Economic Statement.

Status as of April 2026

• On October 23, 2025, the federal government tabled Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, in the House of Commons, which introduced several amendments to the Criminal Code relating to motor vehicle theft offences with respect to bail and sentencing. Bill C-14 was enacted by Parliament on June 15, 2026.
• Bill C-14 made it more onerous for accused persons charged with motor vehicle theft involving violence or links to organized crime to obtain bail by creating a new reverse onus for these cases. It also created a new requirement for courts to consider imposing additional release conditions when granting bail to anyone charged with motor vehicle theft, including geographic restrictions, restrictions on possessing specified tools, and curfews or house-arrest conditions.
• Bill C-14 further creates new provisions requiring sentences for motor vehicle theft involving violence or links to organized crime to be served consecutively to a sentence for breaking and entering and requires courts to give primary consideration to the sentencing objectives of denunciation and deterrence for repeat motor vehicle theft offences involving violence or any organized crime related offence.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Amend the Radiocommunication Act to regulate the sale, distribution, and importation of radio devices used for auto theft.

Status as of April 2026

• ISED continues to examine options to introduce new measures under the Radiocommunication Act to regulate the types of radio devices used for auto theft.
• In parallel, ISED continues to use its existing authorities to support efforts to combat auto theft. This includes enforcement actions such as seizing uncertified equipment, working with retailers to remove certain devices from sale, and imposing financial penalties for the use of certain prohibited devices.

Canada Border Services Agency

• Review existing legislation and regulations, such as the Customs Act, with a view to:
  • enhancing compliance with export controls
  • increasing accountability for all partners and facility operators involved in export operations
  • increasing penalties for non-compliance and false reporting
  • benefiting from international best practices
  • assessing legal authorities to ensure export regulations are effective for law enforcement.
• Introduce legislative amendments and regulations to compel rail and port operators to provide adequate accommodation for the examination for exported goods by CBSA officers.

Status as of May 2025

• The CBSA, in partnership with the Department of Justice, continues to review its legislative and regulatory frameworks in line with the commitment.
• A review of reporting obligations and compliance measures is in progress to ensure that CBSA has the necessary tools, laws, and regulations to detect stolen vehicles before they are exported.

Transport Canada

• Modernize the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to ensure they consider technological advancements to deter and prevent auto theft.

Status as of April 2026

• On December 27, 2025, Transport Canada published proposed Regulations Amending the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (Theft Protection) in the Canada Gazette, Part I, to update the theft protection standards. A formal consultation period ran until March 12, 2026, allowing stakeholders, partners, and Canadians to review and comment before the regulations are finalized.
• Transport Canada officials are reviewing the feedback received. Final amendments are expected to be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II in Fall 2026.

Ontario

Status as of April 2026

• Amendments were made to the Highway Traffic Act to crack down on motor vehicle theft.
• These amendments, which came into force on January 1, 2026, include a new provincial offence for knowingly providing a false vehicle identification number for a vehicle transaction. Penalties include fines of up to $100,000 for convictions, the possibility of up to six months in jail and an up to one-year driver's license or vehicle permit suspension.
• Additional amendments provide police with the authority to search and seize electronic devices that are intended to be used for vehicle theft — providing law enforcement stronger tools to keep keyless devices off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.

Manitoba

Status as of May 2025

• In April 2024, the Government of Manitoba enacted The Body Armour and Fortified Vehicle Control Amendment Act to prohibit the use of aftermarket hidden compartments in vehicles, which are typically added to vehicles for the purpose of concealing controlled substances, weapons, and cash proceeds of crime during transport.
• Additionally, in April 2024, Manitoba introduced The Unexplained Wealth Act (Criminal Property Forfeiture Act and Corporations Act Amended) to allow law enforcement to better target organized crime groups who profit from crime. The Act requires corporations to disclose their beneficial owners and strengthens law enforcement's ability to confiscate the proceeds of crime.