IBC, RCMP and Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association launch national cargo theft reporting program for Atlantic Canada

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the RCMP and the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) announced on Wednesday that they are joining forces to bring a national cargo theft reporting program to Atlantic Canada.

The Cargo Theft Initiative, which IBC and the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) launched in Ontario in 2014, brings together the insurance industry, the trucking community, law enforcement and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the dangers and costs associated with cargo theft and to assist in the recovery of stolen goods, the IBC said in a media release.

The success of the program was illustrated in a case that occurred last summer in Ontario. The cargo theft reporting database – the heart of the program – facilitated communication between insurance companies and law enforcement regarding the return of goods. This communication led to a police raid in which the police were able to identify the owners of approximately $1.4 million in stolen goods, the IBC reported.

The program aims to raise awareness about cargo theft, the release said, noting that historically, cargo theft has often gone unreported because there are so many different parts of the transportation process that it can be overlooked.

Background information from the IBC explained that cargo theft involves a sophisticated network of criminals who commit the thefts and distribute the stolen goods – usually items that people use on a daily basis, such as laundry detergent, T-shirts, dry goods and electronic components. Well-organized systems are in place to move the products for quick sale in the underground economy. Often the products are parcelled out and sold well before the theft is reported, the release said, with a thriving black market keeping sophisticated and networked thieves in business.

Related: IBC, Canadian Trucking Alliance expand cargo theft reporting initiative across Canada

The IBC said that the reporting of cargo theft has been sporadic, which makes property recovery and prosecution a challenge. “Although some trucking companies do report their losses, others do not for fear of a damaged reputation, a negative impact on their business and customer confidence, and increased insurance premiums,” the release said, adding that when losses are not reported, stolen property cannot be identified or recovered, and thieves are not prosecuted.

“To fight cargo theft, we must be as organized as the criminals,” Amanda Dean, vice president, Atlantic, IBC, said in the release. “This initiative and strengthened partnership will help curb this type of crime and protect people in our communities.”

Jean Marc Picard, executive director of the APTA, said that cargo theft in New Brunswick represents “tens of millions of dollars and can be as severe as shutting down businesses due to the costs associated with the thefts.” One stolen trailer can be worth up to $250,000 in value, Picard said, which would put a “business under overnight.”

The Cargo Theft Initiative began as a pilot reporting project in 2011 in Ontario and Quebec. Working with CTA and member companies, IBC collected, analyzed and shared cargo loss information with law enforcement agencies. “The project was an important first step in gathering consistent information on these crimes and led to several recoveries of stolen trailers and consumer goods,” the release said.