WHY CANADA IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CAR THEFT CENTRE . . . In 2022, a car was stolen every FIVE minutes

TORONTO. — Two years ago, in Canada, a car was being stolen every FIVE minutes and the statistics included the car of the country’s Justice Minister whose Toyota Highlander XLE was stolen, not once, but TWICE.

The country is now battling with the label of being the capital of car thefts in the world.

By the end of 2022, more than 105 000 cars had been stolen in Canada that year alone.

This year, Interpol listed Canada among the top 10 worst countries for car thefts out of 137 in its database.

It is a “remarkable” feat, said a spokesperson, considering the country only began integrating their data with the international police organisation in February.

Authorities say once these cars are stolen, they are either used to carry out other violent crimes, sold domestically to other unsuspecting Canadians, or shipped overseas to be resold.

Interpol says it has detected more than 1 500 cars around the world that have been stolen from Canada since February, and around 200 more continue to be identified each week, usually at ports in other countries.

Car theft is such an epidemic that it was declared a “national crisis” by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which says insurers have had to pay out more than US$1bn in vehicle theft claims last year.

The problem has forced police jurisdictions across the country to issue public bulletins on how to protect vehicles from theft.

Some Canadians have taken matters into their own hands, doing everything from installing trackers on their cars to hiring private neighbourhood security.

Some have even installed retractable bollards in their driveways – similar to those seen at banks and embassies – to try and deter thieves.

Nauman Khan, who lives in Mississauga, a city just outside Toronto, started a bollard-installation business after he and his brother were both victims of car thefts.

In one attempt, Mr Khan said the thieves broke into his home while his wife and young children were sleeping.

They were looking for the keys to his Mercedes GLE parked out front, he said, but ran after he confronted them.

After that “traumatic” experience, they sold their cars except for two “humble” family vehicles.

Through his business, Mr Khan said he now hears similar stories from people throughout the region of Toronto. – BBC.