CBSA investigators in Halifax, Nova Scotia, first flagged the operation back in 2021. That concern led to a multi-year probe and involvement from agencies on both sides of the border. In July of 2023, officers executed two search warrants, both in London, Ontario.
During those searches, they gathered business and financial records, vehicle titles, bills of sale, cell phones, SIM cards, and other devices. From there, authorities sifted through some 750,000 records tied to the operation.
Under sections 95 and 124 of the Customs Act, the penalty can match the full value of the exported goods, which is exactly what happened here.
“The multi-million dollar penalty attached to the outcome of this investigation sends a strong reminder to commercial exporters that they will be held accountable for not respecting mandatory reporting requirements and Canadian laws,” Dominic Mallette, regional director general of CBSA’s Atlantic Region said in the news release.
The penalty ranks as one of the largest of its kind in recent years. While the government didn’t mention anything about stolen cars, Canada has long combated issues with such vehicles ending up on boats headed to West Africa.
the writer at Carscoops didn't ask how this exporter got away with this, that no one noticed, that no one asked to see his paperwork before exporting/shipping these cars. Doesn't the govt have a customs dept on the pier checking the shipping manifests, and seeing if all the proper paperwork has been filed? Was there corruption, Pay offs, or Bribes down at the pier? Was there just overall ineptness, and is that universal, and is this the method stolen cars are sent to (notice the destination) ONLY West Africa?
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