RCMP seizes 392 vehicles in crackdown on cross-border auto fraud

The RCMP announced that Project NoCargo has recovered 392 cars worth about $28 million, stopping them from being exported from Canadian ports.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, together with partner law-enforcement bodies and financial institutions, reported that Project NoCargo has reclaimed 392 vehicles, estimated at $28 million, from ports in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Initiated in June 2025 by the RCMP’s Federal Policing Criminal Operations program and supported by INTERPOL Ottawa, the project targets transnational crime rings that fabricate personal documents to obtain vehicle loans and insurance, generating about $900 million in insurance fraud losses last year.

The Canada Border Services Agency forwards suspected cases to the RCMP, which then conducts investigations. A recent survey by the Équité Association highlighted that one-third of Canadians have experienced auto theft, though overall theft rates have fallen 33 percent since 2023 thanks to the federal action plan. Nonetheless, organized crime continues to adapt, employing technology-based methods such as key-fob relay attacks. Industry groups urge Ottawa to maintain stricter vehicle-immobilisation standards and tighter export oversight to further reduce theft-related losses.