BALTIMORE — Thieves are stealing cargo shipments with just a computer. Organized crime rings are increasingly targeting cargo shipments in a sophisticated form of theft that consumers rarely see but ultimately pay for.
"It happens behind closed doors. It happens in the dark of night, and the consumer doesn't really realize it, because it's not making national news," said Keith Lewis, Vice President of Operations for Verisk CargoNet.
Lewis's organization, which tracks cargo theft and works to prevent it, found cargo crimes increased 27 percent to an all-time high in 2024, with losses projected to rise another 22 percent in 2025. For the first time, the value of stolen merchandise and estimated loss exceeded $1 billion in 2023, with the average theft now valued at more than $202,000.
The types of targeted goods have shifted recently, according to experts.
"Energy drinks and solar panels — that's gone to the side now, and what we've seen the latest increase on is copper and general food and beverage and high-end technology is what's being stolen now," Lewis said.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which works on behalf of insurance companies, assists Customs and Border Protection in investigating these thefts and attempting to recover stolen goods. In a recent news release, the NICB said it has assisted in more than 240 cargo crime investigations, leading to over 70 recoveries valued at nearly $40 million. Since 2022, NICB has opened an average of 150 commercial cargo crime cases annually.
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