NICB works with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop the export of stolen vehicles

Seizures occurred in new York, Newark, Baltimore, Norfolk, savannah And Miami

OAK BROOK, Illinois., 5 September 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Increasing vehicle thefts pose complex challenges for law enforcement agencies and insurance carriers. The problem of exporting stolen vehicles from the United States is a particularly complex problem with significant implications for law enforcement, public safety and international relations. However, the sheer volume of goods imported into and exported from the country poses a challenge for authorities to identify stolen vehicles among legal exports. To address this problem, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the country’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to identifying, investigating, preventing and deterring insurance crimes, Fraud and Crime, is working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of Operation Terminus to prevent stolen vehicles from being smuggled out of the country through seaports across the country.

“NICB is proud to work with partners like U.S. Customs and Border Protection to dismantle transnational criminal networks,” said David J. GlawePresident and CEO of NICB. “These partnerships are critical to identifying these criminals and significantly disrupting their ability to continue their global operations. Tackling this problem requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach involving law enforcement, government agencies, international partners and industry stakeholders. This is especially important as stolen vehicles that are exported are often repurposed for illicit activities such as smuggling drugs, weapons or even terrorists across borders.”

Organized crime syndicates often organize the theft and export of vehicles, using sophisticated tactics to evade detection. These criminal networks may alter vehicle identification numbers (VINs), forge documents, or use other methods to conceal the true origin of stolen vehicles, making them difficult for law enforcement to track down and recover. The NICB dismantled nearly 2,000 organized crime networks last year and seized more than 300,000 vehicles valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Our partnership with NICB is critical to our fight against vehicle theft and the dismantling of transnational criminal organizations. By working together, we leverage our capabilities to prevent criminal activity domestically and around the world,” said Diane SabatinoCustoms and Border Protection, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Office of External Operations.

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Last year, NICB agents worked with CBP officers to inspect shipping containers as part of Operation Terminus and discovered several high-value vehicles valued at over 100,000 US dollars each, resulting in the seizure of several vehicles valued at several million dollars. These seizures took place in seaports of new York, Newark, Norfolk, Baltimore south of savannah and Miami Ports of Entry. Many of the seized stolen vehicles were destined for several different countries in AfricaIn addition, hundreds of rounds of ammunition of various calibers were seized during the operations, which were hidden in vehicles intended for Nigeria and other African ports.

“Although many stolen vehicles are recovered, global demand is increasing, particularly in regions where regulations are lax and stolen goods can easily be laundered or resold on the black market,” Glawe said. “To prevent stolen vehicles from leaving the country, effective detection and interception measures are needed at various exit points, including ports, border crossings and shipping terminals.”

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois.The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to combating and preventing insurance crime through intelligence, analysis and operations, education and crime prevention, and strategy, policy and advocacy. The NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. For more information, visit NICB.org.

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Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau