Kentucky law enforcement has issued a warning about a concerning increase in strategic cargo thefts. This alarming trend mirrors a larger national issue.
Since August 1, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) has opened a staggering 12 cases related to strategic cargo theft. This is a significant jump compared to only five cases of regular theft between 2014 and 2022. Strategic cargo thefts involve organized criminals using fraudulent tactics to divert shipments from their intended destination, in contrast to straightforward thefts where cargo is simply stolen from trailers.
Investigators have identified two main groups responsible for the recent spike in strategic thefts. These groups are cleverly exploiting legitimate carriers to double-broker loads and snatch valuable cargo.
Intelligence analyst Gary Thomas reveals a broader trend as this KSP branch tackles a dozen cases.
“That’s not including some local agencies and some federal agencies in our state that are also looking into these crimes,” he said. “We just have a small staff here, so we became overwhelmed.”
Overhaul, a supply chain risk management company, collaborates with local law enforcement to provide top-notch data and cargo recovery services. In the past, they joined forces with KSP to put an end to a series of thefts centered around Louisville.
Thanks to the efforts of the FBI and local law enforcement, the masterminds behind these crimes were apprehended; however, the criminals have now become more strategic in their operations, creating a widespread issue across the nation.
“There was a breakup of a pretty large strategic theft crew in Southern California a few months back,” said Danny Ramon, intelligence and response manager at Overhaul. “They didn’t catch everybody, and that crew was one of the most prolific information-sharing crews in the cargo theft world. They were very open with their colleagues about how they did what they did, and they also started setting up fraudulent carrier identities and fraudulent broker identities across the country.”
Verisk Analytics’ CargoNet has reported a 57% increase in supply chain risk events across North America. This surge was driven by strategic tactics. In addition, the company has been closely monitoring the alarming rise in cargo thefts, specifically in Kentucky.
“They’re derivatives of two different crime rings,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at CargoNet. “Deception is used to steal the load. Some of the commodities that come out of Kentucky are very valuable.”
Lewis suggests that these strategies could have originated from another crew or even the dark web, noting that it is common for crew members to break away and form new groups in various locations.
“You just don’t know what the backstory is until you get the person you’re going after in a room and [are] getting them to cooperate,” Lewis said. “So, we’re making a lot of assumptions here, but the assumptions seem realistic.”
International criminals are often taking the lead in these operations, recruiting willing or unsuspecting individuals to handle the illegal goods.
“Criminals, when they see success, they’re going to be pretty vocal about it,” Ramon said. “They continue to see success, they’re going to tell their ‘friends’ about it, their network about it, and those folks are going to join up as well, and the crew is going to get larger. They’re going to spread out farther, and this thing is going to become more widespread.”
Ramon highlights that cargo thefts often target easier opportunities. While Southern California has long been a hub for this activity, local law enforcement and businesses are now taking stronger actions to combat it. As a result, criminals are seeking out other locations with fewer security measures in place.
“We’ve had some success in recoveries, and they have been in Southern California,” Thomas said. “A lot of our shipments are being redirected — a good portion of them, if not the majority of them — are all going to California. We’ve developed relationships with California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department, and Homeland Security out there, who are helping us.”
According to Thomas, geographical issues pose a complex jurisdictional problem. Consequently, numerous investigations necessitate collaboration between federal and state partners. Ramon emphasized that these complications are exploited by criminals.
“They know that traveling multiple jurisdictions hampers investigation, and they know that strategic thefts delay the victim even noticing,” Ramon said. “That’s where Overhaul and some of the solutions we offer come into play.”
Thomas has identified a new challenge: Recent cargo thefts are becoming increasingly unpredictable. While traditional thefts have been concentrated in specific areas, strategic tactics are now appearing all across the state, making them much harder to track down.
“There is no rhyme nor reason or geographical coincidence to where any of these are,” Thomas said. “Places that are unaware that cargo theft is even a thing. Which is probably one of the most concerning aspects.”
Source: Transport Topics
