392 stolen vehicles recovered in Project NoCargo pilot, valued at $28 million

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 5, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) working in close collaboration with INTERPOL Ottawa, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), and Canadian financial institutions, have prevented the export of hundreds of vehicles obtained through fraudulent means as part of a pilot project launched last year.

Project NoCargo was launched in June 2025 by the RCMP's Federal Policing Criminal Operations – Financial Crime (FPCO FC) program, assisted by INTERPOL Ottawa, with the goal of investigating suspicious vehicle exports. One year later, Project NoCargo continues to deliver real results in the fight against auto theft and financial crime.

In 2025, INTERPOL Ottawa detected an emerging trend of transnational organized crime networks exporting fraudulently obtained vehicles overseas. Criminals commit vehicle finance fraud by stealing or manufacturing personal credentials, which are used to apply for auto loans to purchase a vehicle. The same credentials are in turn used to take out an insurance policy on the vehicle with the intention of committing fraud. The increase in vehicle finance fraud contributed towards an estimated $900 million in insurance losses last year. 

One of the key objectives of Project NoCargo was to rapidly identify and prevent the export of these fraudulently acquired vehicles through Canadian marine ports.

This work was supported by strong partnerships and close inter-agency cooperation, enabling timely information sharing and coordinated action. Throughout Project NoCargo, the CBSA referred cases presenting potential financial fraud risks to the RCMP for investigation. The RCMP undertook investigative actions and, upon confirmation of any criminal infractions, the CBSA intercepted vehicles before export could take place. Over the past year, Project NoCargo has led to the interception and recovery of 392 vehicles, with an estimated total value of $28 million in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

QUOTES

"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. We are confronting a complex problem that requires manufacturers, insurance companies, shippers, law enforcement agencies and governments to work together on solutions. Each partner has a role to play and Project NoCargo is proof that cooperation will yield results."

     -  Mike Duheme, Commissioner, RCMP

"The Canada Border Services Agency works diligently alongside law enforcement partners to disrupt, investigate, and assist in prosecuting auto theft-related crimes. As criminal networks evolve to evade detection, we will remain vigilant to stay ahead. Initiatives like Project NoCargo are delivering results and demonstrate the strength of coordinated intelligence and enforcement operations, and we will continue strengthening our collective response to protect Canada's borders and communities."

   -   Erin O'Gorman, President, CBSA

Quick Facts:

• The National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft was developed in collaboration with various orders of government, law enforcement and industry following the National Summit in February 2024.
• The CBSA intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in railyards and ports in 2025 and has established a 24/7 central point of contact for police to coordinate requests to locate vehicles that may be tracked to a marine port or intermodal facility. The Agency continues to act on 100% of referrals.
• Since early 2024, the Government of Canada has invested $15 million to bolster law enforcement efforts targeting auto theft and support a coordinated domestic and international response to this crime. 
• In support of the Government of Canada's National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft, FINTRAC has generated 90 disclosures relating to auto theft in the last two years to law enforcement agencies across the country. These disclosures included 76,097 transactions and contained 408 subjects of interest.
• Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) data on Canadian stolen motor vehicles (SMV) was integrated with the INTERPOL SMV database in February 2024. INTERPOL Ottawa continues to collaborate with foreign authorities to detect and disrupt transnational organized crime groups involved in global vehicle crime.

Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/news/2026/08/4355449

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SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management

Contacts: RCMP Media Relations, National Headquarters, Ottawa, ON, Telephone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; CBSA Media Relations, [email protected], 1-877-761-5945