south america cargo theft report - piratería de...

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South America Cargo Theft Report Second Quarter 2010



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Brazil

Official statistics for cargo theft in the first quarter of 2010 were recently released, indicating a 7% decrease in cargo theft in Sao Paulo, compared with the same period in 2009. Theft incidents numbered 1,849 in 2009 and 1,719 in 2010. While cargo theft in Sao Paulo does not represent cargo theft as a whole, the state does account for approximately 50% of all cargo theft in Brazil, and provides a firm measure for analyzing cargo theft trends throughout the country.

Source: SSP/SP and SETCESP/FETCESP For the purposes of this report, Sao Paulo is defined as the state, unless otherwise specified. In Q2, most incidents occurring within Sao Paulo were conducted by large groups of organized cargo thieves who prefer shifting the targeted products into their vans given that the majority of trucks in Brazil have tracking devices. For example, on the morning of April 20 in Sao Paulo a large group of thieves commandeered a truckload of electronics. The load, valued at USD $1 million (R$1.7 million) and destined for Jundiai, was intercepted by a group of 20 armed thieves in the Campinas region. According to the driver and security guards escorting the load, there were five vehicles with approximately four thieves inside each car. The thieves took 37 boxes of computer accessories including CPUs and memory cards. Another incident occurred the morning of June 6, between the municipalities of Portao and Sao Sebastiao, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A truck loaded with cigarettes was intercepted by four individuals inside a white van. The thieves threatened the driver, forcing him to stop so that the product

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700

January February March

Q1 2008‐2010Incidents Sao Paulo State

2008

2009

2010



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could be transferred to their van. The police found the driver and the empty truck in the same location where the incident took place. Cargo Theft The most targeted commodities by cargo thieves in Brazil continue to be high value products ‐ easy to sell on the black market ‐ such as electronics, auto parts and cigarettes. During Q2 there was a slight increase in the number of pharmaceutical thefts according to police records. One tragic pharmaceutical theft occurred in east Sao Paulo during the first week of May, in which a municipal policeman was shot while trying to prevent a load from being stolen. The thieves abandoned the truck as soon as additional police support arrived on scene.

Driver collusion continues to be a common threat for local trucking companies. On July 26, a driver reported stolen merchadise from the back of his trailer while resting at a truck stop. The load, valued at USD $226,499 (R$400,000) comprised LCD televisions, notebook computers and cosmetics. During the investigation, police discovered that the driver exited the truck stop at 1:00 am and returned two hours later. In the end, the driver admitted driving to a nearby abandoned truck stop where a group of thieves waited to transfer the load into three vans. He returned to his assigned truck stop at 3:00 am and waited until sunrise to report the stolen merchandise. The General Coordinator of Operations of the Fereral Highway Police Dpt. (PRF) (Policia Rodoviaria Federal) stated that the PRF lacks sufficient personnel and funding to effectively handle the large number of cargo theft incidents. Cargo theft in Sao Paulo occurs primarily in the capital and the on highway systems as shown below:

Food/Bevg37%

Electronics17%

Pharmaceuticals13%

Building/Indust´l11%

Miscellaneous11%

Tobacco5% Auto/parts

3%

Home/Garden2%

Clothing/shoes1%

By Commodity



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Cargo Theft Trends: Q2, 2010 Trend I: Increase in demand for stolen products The number of companies introducing stolen products into their inventories has been growing during the last months. According to local news, some Brazilian resellers have been negotiating with cargo thieves to develop better pricing for stolen commodities, negotiating rates from the thieves that save the resellers 20% to 50%.

BR‐116 (Dutra)

BR‐381 (Fernao …

SP‐065 (D. Pedro I)

SP‐225

SP‐280 (Castelo …

SP‐330 …

Other roads

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78

22

7

9

8

6

14

17

6

39

33

48

Federal and State Highways

Roads20%

Interior9%

Gde. Sao Paulo19%

Sao Paulo (Captial)52%

Cargo Theft by Region: First Quarter 2010



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Trend II: Increase in cargo theft in the south of Minas Gerais, near Sao Paulo Several incidents occurred during Q2, in the state of Minas Gerais. On April 2, a truck loaded with fertilizer valued in USD $169,717 (R$300,000) was stolen while in‐transit. Also, on April 1, a truck loaded with plastic polyethylene valued in USD $56,660 (R$100,000) was stolen from a secure terminal lot. The number of incidents occurring in cities in the southern part of Minas Gerais has alerted authorities in this region since they suspect that these organized cargo thieves have either settled in or expanded operations to cities within this region. Trend III: Specialized cargo thieves In Q2, some of the most dangerous organized gangs in and around the state of Sao Paulo have been identified in the following locations:

Rio Pardo, Sao Paulo

Jacarei, Sao Paulo

South of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo In Q2, police determined that one of the most violent cargo theft gangs in Brazil actually specializes in stealing loads of fertilizer. This gang operates in the state of Acre and some members of the gang were captured while attempting to leave the state with a stolen tank‐truck. Most incidents involve violence and weapons. For example, the night of April 27 three armed thieves stole two trucks loaded with 44,000 liters of fuel in Pedra Preta, Mato Grosso. The drivers were kidnapped for approximately eight hours and the tanker‐truck was abandoned empty at a gas station in Rondonopolis. According to police, the three thieves responsible for this incident belong to a well organized gang specializing in fuel theft. Federal police suspect the thieves plan their attacks once they have agreed on the price and delivery time with a potential buyer, demonstrating the group’s sophisticated planning and organization.

Argentina In Argentina, there are an estimated 10 well established organized gangs that dominate cargo theft operations throughout the country. These gangs operate as interconnected organizations using precise methods to target any desired commodity. During the last two years, reports indicate that half of the stolen cargo in Argentina involve the loss of electronic products.



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Source: Mesa Interempresarial de Trabajo de Pirateria de Camiones.

According to Mesa Interempresarial, the regions experiencing the highest percent of cargo theft are Almirante Brown, San Martin, Lomas de Zamora, Quilmes, Moron and La Matanza. Additionally, in the city of Buenos Aires, the majority of incidents occur around some of the neighborhoods in La Boca, Barracas, Parque Patricios, Liniers, Retiro, Abasto and Villa Devoto.

48%

26%

12%

8% 6%

By Commodity2008‐2009

Electrodomestics

Consumer Care Products (perfume)

Combustible

Textiles

Automotive parts, pharmaceuticals and construction materials



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With the help of police, Mesa Interempresarial also determined the most dangerous routes in Argentina, which include:

Highways 3 and 7 (from Lujan to the Federal Capital)

Highways 6 and 205 (passing Ezeiza and Monte Grande)

National Route 9 (section of the Panamericana Highway)

Ave. Calchaqui (Route 36)

Industry reports indicate that 29% of all cargo theft incidents around the country occur between 4am and 8am; and the majority of incidents occur on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Cargo Theft Trends In 2010, there has been an increase in cargo theft in roads that connect with the Port of San Martin (Santa Fe Province). Loads of cereals and corn were among the most stolen products this year. During



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the month of July, a truck loaded with 30 tons of corn was stolen after leaving the port and abandoned in a nearby town with half of the product missing. Police believe that the same thieves have been responsible for multiple cargo theft incidents primarily involving agricultural and food products this year. The majority of cargo theft gangs in Argentina are groups of at least 15 people. They tend to intercept their victims using two vehicles, often transferring the product into their own vans. The trucks are then abandoned after the merchandise is transferred to a safe place and the drivers are kidnapped for a short period of time to provide the gang enough time to evade police. Even though, Argentinean cargo thieves carry weapons at all times, they rarely hurt drivers ‐ official records indicate that only two drivers have been killed during the last 10 years. For example, during the morning of April 13, a truck loaded with food products was stolen by a group of thieves in Palmira, (province of Mendoza). Cargo thieves took the truck and abandoned the driver by the roadside. Police found the truck the next day, around 5:00 pm.; the trailer and the load were never recovered. The last step is the delivery process, in which thieves can proceed to make arrangements with the person who requested the products, often believed to be legitimate businesses and markets looking for quality products at a lower cost. As in other Latin American countries, many cargo thieves in Argentina pose as police officers. Recent news state that authorities around the country are looking for a group of cargo thieves responsible for five hijackings reported during the last six months. Other Recent Incidents On April 21, a group of cargo thieves hijacked a truck loaded with alcohol (worth USD$ 254,062 ARS $1 million) in the middle of a highway close to the city of Ituzaingo. The driver was able to notify police while thieves were transferring the load into their own van. When police arrived, thieves got into their vehicle and tried to escape. During the investigation the thieves were linked the to other cargo thefts that occurred a week earlier including a truck stolen in Florencio Varela. On May 5, police caught a group of cargo thieves while unloading 600 boxes with cosmetics worth USD $127,032 (ARS $500,000) into a large van. The event occurred in Villa Luzuriaga, (partido of La Matanza), in the Province of Buenos Aires, at the intersection of Paz and Cuba streets. Even though no one reported the incident they were suspicious about this activity and decided to interrogate thieves to verify their documents. At that moment, thieves tried to escape but were captured immediately.



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Venezuela In Venezuela, a few highly organized cargo theft gangs operate in the country, targeting high demand/high value products, while the majority of cargo theft is associated with opportunistic criminals seeking to steal loads left unattended. On May 12, a truckload of food products with destination to Bolivar State was intercepted by cargo thieves at the El Tigre‐Puerto Ordaz route, located between the municipalities of Miranda and Aragua in Anzoátegui State. The load was valued at $37,209 USD ($160,000 VEF). The driver told police he was stopped by a vehicle with four armed thieves believed to be members of an organized gang with centralized operations in Guarico, Bolivar and Anzoategui. Two days prior to the incident, three trucks loaded with pharmaceuticals valued at USD $232,558 USD (VEF$1 million) were stolen also along El Tigre‐Pariaguan‐Puerto Ordaz highway.

During Q2, Caracas police identified a group of cargo thieves operating along the Caracas‐La Guaira highway that conects to the port of La Guaira and the Simon Bolivar International Airport. This particular gang does not target a specific commodity type, but they are believed to be responsbile millions in losses to companies along that particular route. Although five thieves were captured by police, there are still six members that have yet to be captured. According to a victims, the gangs often wear police uniforms. Finally, other cargo thieves prefer to steal trucks coming from other countries importing into Venezuela. For example, on April 11, a truck loaded with infant formula, valued at USD $116,279 ( VEF $500,000) was stolen in San Vicente, Los Llanos. The truck was later found at a warehouse belonging to another trucking company located in the industrial zone of Stanta Cruz de Aragua, in Aragua State, together with other trailers, all of them from Colombia.

Bolivar State

El Tigre City, Anzoategui State



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Honduras In Honduras, most specialized cargo thieves control their own distribution process and own legally‐established terminal lots and garages. Several incidents have been occurring at Puerto Cortes – the origination point for many shipments going out to the rest of Latin America and the United States. A second area of concern is near the border with Guatemala where many drivers are violently attacked after crossing the border.

A third common problem in Honduras is young street gangs attempting to steal cargo. During the afternoon of April 21, (2:00 pm), a gang intercepted a tanker‐truck loaded with 8,000 gallons of fuel valued in $600,000. The thieves intercepted the truck after exiting a gas station in San Pedro Sula. The owners were able to locate the truck thanks to a GPS device and the thieves were captured one hour after the incident took place. Similar reports are received frequently, often citing suspects appearing to be very young in age (early to mid teens). For several months, police from Tegucigalpa tried to capture a group of cargo thieves posing as police officers responsible for hijacking several full truckloads in different points of the cities. On one occasion, police were able to track their location after stealing a truck equipped with a tracking device. Police chased them until thieves stopped and exited the truck for a load recovery, but in the suspects evaded police.



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Contact: Dan Burges Director of Intelligence FreightWatch International 512.532.0159 [email protected]

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