From a stolen load of lobsters to local warehouses filled with robbed supplements and food, just some of the cargo thefts that happened in recent days.
Now, the Cook County sheriff’s Office and rail operators are trying to fight back.
High above the Norfolk Southern rail lines that run through Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, a drone patrolling for cargo thieves spots three people riding the moving train just days before Christmas.
The office said the men broke into a shipping container around 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 19, and threw several packages down to street level. As the men tried to get away, deputies quickly moved in and arrested all three.
They were identified by police as Shaun Smythe, 25, of Calumet City, Marcus Moore, 26, and Errol Miller, 44, both of Chicago. All three were charged with felony burglary, and Miller was additionally charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding.
The aerial takedown comes on the heels of a string of three bold cargo thefts with ties to Illinois.
Over 25,000 pounds of protein powder, worth more than $500,000 was recovered from a Bridgeview warehouse, and in Melrose Park, another warehouse was filled with stolen coffee, worth an estimated $100,000.
But still unaccounted for is the $400,000 worth of frozen lobsters headed for Costcos in Chicago and Minnesota
“There was a criminal or a fraudster who was impersonating a legitimate trucking company,” said Chris Burroughs, President and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association
He said, unlike electronics and other high-ticket items, food and drinks are targeted by thieves because they are difficult to track.
“This is part of a massive cargo theft crisis that’s hitting our supply chain. These crimes cost the industry billions of dollars every year,” he said. “The consumer ultimately bears those costs and adds to the influential market that we feel as consumers.”
Miller and Moore are still being held for violating the terms of previous burglary charges. Smythe has since been released.
Credit: Source link
