CARGO THEFT'S HIGH COST
Thieves Stealing Billions Annually
07/21/06
Tailored
suits, frozen shrimp, computer chips, toilet
paper—the flotsam and jetsam of a nation
of consumers—are delivered round-the-clock.
Loaded on pallets and packed on trucks, planes,
and trains, they are but a sample of the commerce
pulsing through the country's arteries to
nourish the world's largest economy. Unfortunately,
if you can package it, crate it, and ship
it, there is likely a criminal enterprise
that wants to steal it.
Cargo
theft is estimated to cost the U.S. $15-30
billion a year, though the true measure may
be even higher, since some businesses are
reluctant to report thefts out of concern
for their reputations or their insurance premiums.
Thieves' methods vary, but the outcome is
generally the same—a load of merchandise
leaves Point-A and never arrives at Point-B.
"Cargo
theft is our number-one priority in Major
Theft," says Unit Chief Eric B. Ives,
who heads the Major Theft Unit in the FBI's
Criminal Investigative Division. "There's
never been a time when there's not enough
work."
The
issue is much broader than a criminal stealing
a TV off a truck. In the past few years, investigations
have revealed more and more sophisticated
operations with well-organized hierarchies.
The typical "criminal enterprise,"
as Ives describes it, has a leader who runs
a regional or national operation. Beneath
him are cells of thieves and brokers, or fences,
who unload the stolen goods on the black market.
"Lumpers" physically move the goods,
along with drivers. And there's usually a
specialist who is expert at foiling the anti-theft
locks on truck trailers.
Cargo
thieves heist whole truck loads of merchandise—the
average freight on a trailer is valued between
$12,000 and $3 million. The hotspots are where
you might expect—truck yards, hubs for
commercial freight carriers, and port cities.
To
fight the problem, seven cargo theft task
forces, made up of FBI agents and local law
enforcement, operate in six cities: Memphis,
Houston, Newark, New York, San Juan, and Miami,
which has two. Investigations are aimed at
toppling whole operations.
"While
causing a disruption to the criminal operation
is important, the ultimate goal of the FBI
is to completely dismantle the criminal enterprise,"
Ives says.
Some
undercover investigations may last more than
a year and involve setting up front warehouses
to fence stolen merchandise. Private industry
support is critical in long term investigations.
"They know that if we can reduce cargo
theft by taking out the criminal enterprise
it benefits them," Ives says.
In
fact, private industry played a pivotal role
in placing a long-sought provision in the
USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization
Act, signed into law in March. The provision
requires the Department of Justice to add
cargo theft to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting
(UCR) System by year's end. Cargo-related
crimes that were once filed in the UCR as
burglary, larceny, and robbery will have their
own category. Once established, the data will
paint a clearer picture of the extent of cargo
theft—and help law enforcement agencies
allocate their resources. The measure also
increased prison terms for cargo theft convictions:
three years for cargo valued under $1,000
and 15 years for cargo valued over $1,000.
Resources:
Major
Thefts/Violent Crime website
