Alberta is fast becoming a secondary market for the re-sale of stolen four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), an association of home, auto and business insurers.
IBC released its annual list of the 10 most frequently stolen cars in Canada, and the two-door Honda Civic took the top two spots on the list (the 2000 Honda Civic finished first, followed by the 1999 Civic second).
Seven of the vehicles on the list were four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, including four Ford F350 trucks.
“We are never surprised to see a lot of all-terrain vehicles on the list,” Rick Dubin, vice president of investigative services at the IBC, said. “Many of these higher-end vehicles are targeted by organized crime for shipment overseas to places like West Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, where there is a lucrative market for big, rugged vehicles.”
What is new, however, is that Alberta is emerging as a hot market for the re-sale of these stolen vehicles, IBC notes. Essentially, organized crime rings are now working domestically as well as internationally.
“IBC investigations indicate that many of the Ford trucks are being re-VINed to be sold to unsuspecting victims in Western Canada,” said Dubin. “Organized crime rings are stealing the trucks in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, changing the vehicle identification numbers (VIN), and selling them in Alberta, where there is a high demand for them.”
Overall, the number of stolen vehicles in the country in 2011 was down 12%, to 82,411.
“The bad news is that recovery rates for stolen vehicles have been low, which indicates the involvement of organized criminals, who re-VIN cars for re-sale, or chop them for parts,” IBC said in a statement. “This is a ‘Buyer Beware’ situation in which stolen vehicles and parts are sold over the Internet for prices that seem to be too good to be true.”
The top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Canada are:
1. 2000 HONDA CIVIC SiR 2DR
2. 1999 HONDA CIVIC SiR 2DR
3. 2006 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER SS 4DR 4WD
4. 2007 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
5. 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE 4DR AWD
6. 2006 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
7. 2002 CADILLAC ESCALADE 4DR 4WD
8. 2005 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
9. 2004 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
10. 1999 ACURA INTEGRA 2DR
