Halifax, NS —The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has issued a massive $36.9-million penalty to an Ontario business owner accused of exporting more than 2,300 used vehicles without declaring them, following a multi-year investigation into illegal trans-border activity.
The probe began in 2021, when the CBSA’s Criminal Investigations Section in Halifax identified an Ontario exporter believed to be routinely shipping large volumes of used vehicles to West Africa without filing the required export declarations.
In July 2023, CBSA officers executed two search warrants in London, Ontario, seizing extensive evidence including business and financial documents, vehicle titles, bills of sale, bankers boxes of records, computers, cell phones, and SIM cards.
After reviewing more than 750,000 records collected over the course of the investigation, the CBSA in August 2025 issued a Notice of Ascertained Forfeiture under section 95 of the Customs Act. The business owner is now required to pay $36.9 million—an amount equal to the total value of the exported vehicles.
The CBSA credited the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) for its key role in the investigation. The agency also acknowledged support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Forensic Accounting Management Group, and the London Police Service.
According to the CBSA, the case highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal trans-border activity that threatens Canada’s economic integrity.
Comments