Gatineau man tracks stolen vehicle to Port of Montreal, but police say their hands are tied

Thanks to his Apple AirTag, Mark Roos knows where his stolen 2021 Dodge Ram TRX is.

"It pinged in the port of Montreal," he said.

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His $135,000 truck was taken in the middle of the night from his Gatineau home back in January. There was hope when two weeks later he was notified on his phone, but his hopes were quickly dashed.

"[Police] said they couldn't do anything because it's inside the port," he explained. "They have to notify the port authorities and they might not do anything about it."

Late today Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) told CTV News they can only intercept a stolen vehicle with police help when they know the specific container the stolen car is in. In short, an AirTag notification isn't enough.

This wasn't the first vehicle Roos had stolen. He owns a car dealership in Bells Corners. Last summer the locks on the lot's gates were cut and a '95 Chevy Silverado was stolen and never recovered.

This is part of an alarming trend as thieves target high-end SUVs and trucks in Canada.

"Organized crime is largely behind this. It's not a victimless crime," said Bryan Gast the VP of Investigative Services at Équité Association. "There's so many stolen vehicles in Ontario and Quebec. We are working with law enforcement on this very issue."

A recent report shows auto thefts have increased sharply since 2021.

In Ontario up 48.2 per cent, Quebec up 57.9 per cent, Atlantic Canada up 34 per cent and in western Canada up 5.5 per cent.

A national auto-theft summit is happening in Ottawa on Thursday. All levels of government, CBSA, law enforcement and industry experts are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, Roos is not optimistic he'll ever see his truck again.

"I want my truck back we know where it is," he said. "I just want someone to walk in there." 

In an update, Roos told Newstalk 580 CFRA Thursday night that his Apple AirTag pinged last night in the Port of Halifax.