A national program to combat the growing problem of cargo theft was announced this morning, partnering the Insurance Bureau of Canada with the Canadian Trucking Alliance and law enforcement.
“The increase of cargo theft across the country has become a significant issue in transportation hubs such as southern Ontario, Montreal and Vancouver,” said Garry Robertson, National Director, Investigative Service, IBC, during a morning press conference. “A 2011 study commissioned by the CTA pegged the cost of cargo crime at $5 billion per year and linked cargo theft to organized crime, which uses the proceeds of cargo theft to fund their other illegal activities.”
A low-risk, high-reward crime, cargo theft often goes unreported. As a result, property recovery and prosecution become even more of a challenge. This crime directly affects local and Canadian economies, the trucking industry, the retail sector, insurers and law enforcement resources, added Robertson.
In 2011, IBC’s Investigative Services began a pilot reporting project with member insurers and the CTA to collect, analyze and share cargo loss information with law enforcement agencies primarily in Ontario and Quebec. The project was an important first step in gathering consistent information on these crimes and led to several significant recoveries of stolen trailers and consumer goods.
“he national expansion of the Cargo Reporting Program will further help to recover stolen goods and bring cargo theft criminals to justice,” said Robertson. “The average Canadian should be concerned, how cargo theft affects business in this country.”
