The Prime Minister said Thursday that the Liberal government will consider tougher criminal penalties for people who steal vehicles. Justin Trudeau made the announcement as he kicked off a daylong summit aimed at confronting the issue of auto theft. Trudeau told the gathering of cabinet ministers, law enforcement officials, border authorities and insurance and automaker representatives that the rise in auto thefts has been alarming. He connects the rise to gangs and international organized crime.

The event also had a campaign feel as the Prime Minister blamed the previous Conservative government for slashing spending on border security, making it harder to prevent stolen vehicles from leaving the country. He pointed to funding announced on Wednesday to make sure the Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP and the Ministry of Public Safety is equipped with the investigative tools to better detect illegal shipments at ports and recover more vehicles. Trudeau described how Canadian vehicles are turning up in places like Ghana and Nigeria, with one particular family having their SUV stolen on three separate occasions.

But, the Prime Minister stressed one of the best ways to prevent auto theft is to prevent them from happening. He stated that it is too easy for criminals to buy sophisticated electronic devices online which make it simple to make key fobs, so the government intends to ban these imports.

The summit heard that an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen annually in Canada, meaning about $1 billion in costs to Canadian insurance policyholders and taxpayers.