The office vehicle of the mayor of Montreal was stolen Friday evening in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
• Read also: Car thefts: Quebec little affected compared to other provinces
• Read also: The 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada in 2021
Valérie Plante’s black Toyota Highlander Hybrid was parked near her driver’s residence, not far from the Bordeaux prison.
The crime happened between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to what the City employee told the police.
The 2018-built SUV was unmarked and fitted with flashing lights up front. Everything indicates that the thieves targeted this vehicle at random, without knowing that it was that of the mayor of Montreal, according to our information.
A replacement vehicle has already been found for the one who runs the metropolis, her team confirmed.
“An investigation is underway into this event,” said his press secretary, Marikym Gaudreault, without providing further details.
Prized by thieves
Toyota Highlanders are among the most stolen vehicles in Quebec, according to the most recent data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
They occupy the 6e rank in the list of the 10 models most sought following by criminal groups. The most popular model in recent years remains the Honda CR-V.
According to IBC, auto theft costs Canadians nearly $1 billion each year.
The majority of vehicle thefts are committed by structured organizations that resell them abroad.
The automobiles are then quickly placed in a container to be shipped to another country.
They are then resold for a much higher amount than their market value here.
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Watch out for smart keys
Officers from the Régie de police Thérèse-de-Blainville also discovered on Friday three vehicles stolen from a warehouse in the industrial sector of Boisbriand, intended for export overseas.
The police took the opportunity to remind citizens that theft techniques follow new technologies from car manufacturers.
“This is the case with electronic theft, a means used by thieves who target cars equipped with a remote key or a keyless push-button start device,” reads a press release. .
“Thieves remotely pick up the transmitter signal from the electronic key fob or from the computer system of the vehicle itself to unlock it and steal it without having to damage the lock,” it adds.
