Over the past two weeks, thieves have dismantled fenced and covered spike belts with pieces of wood to steal cars from auto rental establishments at the Halifax (WHERE) airport, according to the Daily News.

Twelve cars of varying makes and models were taken between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. from the secured Avis lot. On September 4, thieves also drove off with four Volvos from the Hertz lot.

Auto theft from airport lots are reported to be common in Montreal, considered to be the airport car-theft capital of Canada, and one criminology professor speculated that thieves may have come over from there to loot another port city airport.

He explained that these types of multiple-car thefts are usually pulled off by organized crime groups and gangs, who select port cities because they can easily export the stolen cars to Europe and the Middle East. The groups usually have a hierarchy, consisting of the young offenders who steal the cars, an upper-echelon guy who has connections at the port, people working for the rental companies or dealerships who steal and copy keys, as well as people in other countries and exporters who take the cars.

An Avis spokesperson confirmed that the thefts occurred on the lot where the rental cars are serviced, cleaned and repaired, and that this is the first time they have experienced this type of theft.

At Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal, over 300 cars have been stolen from the parking lot in the past two years.