Reported cargo theft rose sharply, and investigators said it was underreported

In April 2023, insurers and police warned that cargo theft was rising sharply in Canada and the U.S., and that the real numbers were probably higher than reported.

The numbers

• Verisk's CargoNet said cargo theft cases in Canada and the U.S. rose nearly 80% and that thieves took $223 million in freight in 2022. Trucking-related fraud cases were up 700%.
• Équité Association said reported cargo losses in Canada rose 29.8% in 2022 compared with 2021.
• Ontario accounted for 62% of recorded cargo thefts in Canada. Brampton and Mississauga in Peel Region were among the top theft areas in North America.
• Équité said the crime was spreading beyond the GTA to Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Surrey and Winnipeg. Mixed loads, groceries and automotive loads were the most common targets.

How thieves operate

Detective Sukhdeep Brar of York Regional Police's auto and cargo theft unit said 50% to 60% of Ontario thefts were random. Groceries could be sold within hours of being stolen, and the chance of recovery dropped sharply after five or six days. Organized groups often moved cargo into a "clean" trailer or into another jurisdiction before selling it. CargoNet said fraudsters were increasingly running dispatch operations from other countries.

In one case Brar cited, York police's Project Copperhead recovered $1.65 million in cargo and laid 18 charges against four men accused of targeting metal loads.

Underreporting

All three experts said underreporting was a major problem. Some carriers kept losses quiet so competitors would not find out, or because they feared losing insurance. Brar said a full load usually costs $200,000 to $300,000, and he described a company that went bankrupt after losing four loads of meat.