The theft of a trailer containing 40,000 lbs. of meat from an Ancaster shipping lot last week is the latest case in a serious, widespread but often unreported organized crime phenomenon — one that, according to industry estimates, costs Canadian companies in the billions of dollars per year. The theft of shipping cargo is a "huge, huge problem" in Canada," said Jennifer Fox, vice president, trade and security, of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. "We had one insurer say it was a $5-billion problem in Canada. I actually think that’s an understatement of how prevalent the problem is."The Canadian Trucking Alliance, along with other industry stakeholders, sponsored a study on the phenomenon. Released in 2011, the report suggests thefts of large cargo loads are primarily orchestrated by those involved "organized crime."
"Criminals who are looking into this are usually really well-organized," said Fox. "You already have to have an established facility to take it to and an established buyer."