$15M Truckload Of Apple Products And AMD Chips Stolen In Brazen Heist
According to the site FreightWaves, a Reno Police Department report and sources familiar with the investigation, the truckload was being transported by Ceva Logistics, one of the world's largest third-party logistics providers. The shipment, originating from a facility in Sacramento, California, was dispatched to a small trucking company, Sierra Airfreight Express, in Reno. The Ceva Logistics tractor-trailer arrived at the Sierra Airfreight Express lot after business hours when no employees were on site, leaving the valuable cargo unattended and vulnerable. The lot itself was also reportedly unsecured, lacking fences or guards.
Several days after the theft, the trailer was discovered in Madera, California, over 200 miles from the crime scene. Naturally, the highly valuable electronics inside were nowhere to be seen. Authorities are actively investigating the theft, but have made no arrests so far. No doubt, identifying the mole(s) within the ranks of Ceva and/or Sierra Airfreight Express will be one of the most challenging aspects of the investigation. Additionally, both freight companies are under scrutiny for their lacking security protocols and measures to protect their cargo, high-value or not.
Still, the Reno theft is part of a broader, escalating crisis. According to supply chain security experts like CargoNet and Overhaul, this year has seen a dramatic rise in cargo theft incidents across the United States, with annual losses expected to rise by as much as 22 percent versus last year. FreightWaves reports that cargo crime was already at an all-time high last year: stolen merchandise value climbed to over $1 billion, approximately a 27 percent increase from 2023.
