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Tragically, criminals steal thousands of vehicles on US streets every day. It’s the nature of the beast in American cities, towns, and rural communities. However, car theft isn’t a uniquely American occurrence. No, our neighbor to the north is dealing the issue to the tune of a theft every five or so minutes. As such, Canada made the International Crime Police Organization (INTERPOL) list of the top 10 countries regarding auto thefts.

Car theft in Canada is frequent and often results in vehicles being illegally shipped all over the world

INTERPOL deals with everything from the international drug and arms trade to stolen property worldwide. This includes tracking vehicles crossing ports of entry. Unfortunately, the international organization has detected over 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles at locations worldwide as criminals attempt to use them as currency. 

“Stolen vehicles are international criminal currency,” INTERPOL’s Secretary General Jürgen Stock said on the subject. “Not only are they used to traffic drugs, but also as payment to other criminal networks as well as fueling activities from human trafficking to terrorism.”

In the case of Canada, the car owners report the thefts to law enforcement. Further, INTERPOL uses the data from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to detect stolen vehicles, most often as they cross borders and ports of entry.

Consequently, the Insurance Bureau of Canada declared the issue a national crisis. And Canadians are doing what they can to protect themselves from crime. Understandably, Canadian drivers are doing everything from equipping cameras and trackers to installing retractable bollards like you’d see on a government property. 

According to the BBC News, thieves made off with over 105,000 vehicles in Canuck country in 2022. While that doesn’t sound like much compared to the over one million thefts in the United States in the same timeframe, it landed Canada on INTERPOL’s list of the most auto theft-prone countries in the world.

Unfortunately, the statistic suggests that thieves steal a vehicle in Canada about once every five minutes. In fact, the country’s own federal justice minister, Arif Virani, lost a government-issued Toyota Highlander to thieves. Twice. Granted, David Lametti was the justice minister at the time of the first theft.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).