Cargo Theft: Pirates On Our Highways
The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit goes behind the scenes with law enforcement to expose what the FBI calls the costliest crime in America. Read More
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The Hunt for Stolen Cargo
CHP Investigator Xavier Spencer is one of ten people on the force assigned to combat cargo theft in the state. He and just three other men are part of the Cargo Theft Interdiction Program in northern California, which covers the entire area north of Los Angeles County to the Oregon border. Spencer takes the Investigative Unit on a ride along to recover stolen cargo, and talks about how costly the problem is across the nation and here in California.
Cargo Theft Caught On Tape
The California Highway Patrol s Cargo Theft Interdiction team used these pieces of surveillance video to help crack cargo theft cases in the state. The first video shows the theft of a container carrying $30,000-worth of canned olives from a parking lot in Stockton. The second video depicts a truck driver lifting $35,000-worth of cargo from a warehouse parking lot in San Leandro. In the third video, a driver pulls up to a container on the side of the road near the Port of Oakland and leaves with $154,000-worth of a chemical called styrene.
Cargo Theft Victim Takes Hit to Business
Griselda Bautista, owner of the Oakland-based warehousing company PCCS Inc., was a victim of cargo theft. A year and a half after starting the company, $65,000-worth of cargo was lifted from a truck in her parking lot. She talks to the Investigative Unit about the major hit to her business and the lesson she learned about leaving cargo loads unattended overnight.
Map of National Cargo Theft Incidents
California leads the nation in the number of cargo theft incidents in 2011, according to industry group Cargo Net. Take a look at this animated map to see just how many occurrences happened in California last year, and how the other states compare.
Truck Drivers Talk Cargo Theft
The Investigative Unit rode along with the CHP on Highway 101 on the central coast during an operation to find stolen cargo. Along the way, we spoke with truck drivers who talked about the prevalence of cargo theft in California and the precautions they take to secure their trucks and protect their cargo.
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The Hunt for Stolen Cargo
CHP Investigator Xavier Spencer is one of ten people on the force assigned to combat cargo theft in the state. He and just three other men are part of the Cargo Theft Interdiction Program in northern California, which covers the entire area north of Los Angeles County to the Oregon border. Spencer takes the Investigative Unit on a ride along to recover stolen cargo, and talks about how costly the problem is across the nation and here in California.
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Cargo Theft Caught On Tape
The California Highway Patrol s Cargo Theft Interdiction team used these pieces of surveillance video to help crack cargo theft cases in the state. The first video shows the theft of a container carrying $30,000-worth of canned olives from a parking lot in Stockton. The second video depicts a truck driver lifting $35,000-worth of cargo from a warehouse parking lot in San Leandro. In the third video, a driver pulls up to a container on the side of the road near the Port of Oakland and leaves with $154,000-worth of a chemical called styrene.
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Cargo Theft Victim Takes Hit to Business
Griselda Bautista, owner of the Oakland-based warehousing company PCCS Inc., was a victim of cargo theft. A year and a half after starting the company, $65,000-worth of cargo was lifted from a truck in her parking lot. She talks to the Investigative Unit about the major hit to her business and the lesson she learned about leaving cargo loads unattended overnight.
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Map of National Cargo Theft Incidents
California leads the nation in the number of cargo theft incidents in 2011, according to industry group Cargo Net. Take a look at this animated map to see just how many occurrences happened in California last year, and how the other states compare.
-
Truck Drivers Talk Cargo Theft
The Investigative Unit rode along with the CHP on Highway 101 on the central coast during an operation to find stolen cargo. Along the way, we spoke with truck drivers who talked about the prevalence of cargo theft in California and the precautions they take to secure their trucks and protect their cargo.
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