392 stolen vehicles worth $28M stopped before overseas export, RCMP says

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police recovered 392 stolen vehicles worth an estimated $28 million through a yearlong anti-fraud pilot. Authorities stopped the vehicles before overseas export from Canadian ports. The recoveries occurred in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The RCMP announced the results Tuesday.

Project NoCargo began in June 2025 after investigators identified a growing export-fraud threat. The program targets organized crime networks using stolen or manufactured identities. Those credentials can secure vehicle loans and insurance policies. Criminals then attempt to ship the fraudulently obtained vehicles overseas.

The RCMP worked with INTERPOL Ottawa, the Canada Border Services Agency, FINTRAC and Canadian financial institutions. Border officers referred cases with potential financial-fraud risks to RCMP investigators. Investigators reviewed those referrals for criminal activity. CBSA officers intercepted confirmed vehicles before export.

Fraud starts before the vehicle reaches a port INTERPOL Ottawa identified the trend during 2025, according to the RCMP. Criminal networks used compromised or fabricated personal information to purchase vehicles. They also used those credentials to obtain insurance coverage.

The RCMP linked the broader increase in vehicle-finance fraud to an estimated $900 million in insurance losses last year. window. googletag = window. googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag. cmd. push(function() {googletag. defineSlot('/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0').

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The pilot relied on information sharing among financial institutions, police and border officials. That coordination helped partners connect suspected fraud cases with export activity. Officials did not identify individual suspects or criminal charges in Tuesday’s release. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme called the pilot an example of coordinated enforcement.

“This initiative is helping stop the flow of Canadian cars obtained through fraud and provides law enforcement with information to identify and ultimately disrupt criminal organizations,” Duheme said. He added that manufacturers, insurers, shippers, law enforcement agencies and governments each have a role.

“Project NoCargo is proof that cooperation will yield results.” Border agency intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in 2025 The CBSA intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in rail yards and ports during 2025. The agency also created a 24-hour contact point for police seeking vehicles headed toward marine ports or intermodal facilities.

CBSA states that it acts on every referral. The agency referred potential Project NoCargo cases to the RCMP for investigation. CBSA President Erin O’Gorman described the operation as a response to changing criminal tactics.

“Initiatives like Project NoCargo are delivering results and demonstrate the strength of coordinated intelligence and enforcement operations,” O’Gorman said. She added that the agency will continue working with enforcement partners. The release did not state whether Project NoCargo will continue beyond the pilot.

Why It Matters: Cargo theft and freight fraud often depend on the same weak points: stolen identities, fake paperwork and legitimate-looking transactions. Project NoCargo shows how criminals can use those tools to turn a vehicle into export cargo before anyone catches the fraud.

CFCO training addresses the same early warning signs: identity inconsistencies, documents that appear legitimate and transactions that move faster than verification. Catching those signals before a shipment enters the export chain gives teams a better chance to stop the loss. window. googletag = window. googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag. cmd.

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