Cargo theft problems persist in Philadelphia

A recent freight theft in Philadelphia spotlights an item that one industry insider called a “perennial favorite” among freight thieves.

On Friday, October 25, Philadelphia Police responded to a reported cargo theft in the city’s Northeast Side. The driver said the truck was parked behind a Lowe’s and a Walmart when the trailer was broken into. According to the police, the thieves made off with several pallets of Red Bull.

Officials said they are looking for three male suspects who fled the scene in a gray Dodge Durango. The investigation is ongoing.

The City of Brotherly Love is not alone when it comes to cargo theft. According to first-half 2024 data from Overhaul – an Austin, Texas-based supply chain risk management company – cargo theft incidents are up 49% compared to the first six months of 2023.

It was not just the number of thefts that saw an increase. Data from Overhaul shows that the average loss per incident has also increased, to $115,230 per theft, an increase of 83% from the previous year.

Danny Ramon is the head of Overhaul’s Intelligence and Response team. When it comes to attractive products for cargo thieves, Ramon said energy drinks are a “perennial favorite.”

“Think of every place you’ve ever been – any retail outlet you’ve ever been – whether it’s a flea market, a swap meet, a convenience store or a national franchise, they all sell energy drinks, and you don’t have to think twice about it think if you find a good deal for it,’ Ramon Landline said. “It’s one of those things that just flies off the shelf. You can’t tell the difference between this energy drink and that energy drink in terms of, say, the barcode. They are not uniquely serialized. And they move fast. They are very popular. You can move them individually or in bulk.”

However, according to CargoNet, cargo thieves’ interest in energy drinks has declined over the past year. In the recently released version Risk trend analysis for the third quarter of 2024the Jersey City, N.J.-based cargo security company identified the beverages as one of the targeted goods showing a decline in thefts compared to the third quarter of 2023.

The latest cargo theft is the latest in a series of problems Philadelphia has seen over the past year. In August, Captain John Ryan of the Northeast Detective Division said there could be a spike in thefts attributed to a ‘widespread’ crime ring work throughout the city.

Police in Philly said they have been working with “federal and other state partners” to try to curb the number of thefts.

The city’s problems with organized crime — like its cargo theft problem — are emblematic of national trends. In its third quarter cargo theft report, CargoNet says crime organizations make a major contribution to the continued increase in the number of incidents.

“The main drivers of cargo theft continue to be organized crime groups that specialize in strategic forms of cargo theft, which typically involve some form of document fraud, identity theft and the intent to steal the property they are intended to transport,” the company said.

The group also noticed a change in the evasion tactics used by these crime gangs, making them increasingly difficult to catch. LL

Listen to Land Line Now’s full conversation with Overhaul’s Danny Ramon below.