Cargo theft on the rise in Florida

MIAMI -- The alarming rise of cargo theft is costing South Floridians, but authorities said they are continuing to crack down on the crime.

Police said customers ignored the danger and lined up when Dextan Hodge diverted his tanker to set up a makeshift gas station at Northwest 21st Avenue and 97th Street.

“People were filling up gasoline out of their back yard for $2 a gallon,” Lt. Twan Upgrow of the TOMCAT Task Force said.

Hodge was arrested and charged with grand theft, part of the growing lucrative crime of cargo theft.

Items, including televisions, computers, pharmaceuticals, foods, high-end liquor and even $10 million of stolen Armani suits were brought for storage at a warehouse. The act was caught on police surveillance cameras.

“When we are talking about these thefts that involve multimillion dollars we are talking about large organizations and each one has a role,” Upgrow said.

The alleged gasoline theft helped spike cargo theft, which is up 67 percent over the last three months and the task force set up to stop it said it’s costing Floridians.

“The costs are giving back to the consumer, so once the theft occurs everyone has to absorb the price of the theft,” Upgrow said

The value of goods stolen from big rigs recently is up 300 percent across the state.

“That tells you that this issue is escalating more with the problems of the economy,” Upgrow said.

This year the TOMCAT task force has recovered more than $50 million in merchandise -- a big jump from the $29 million found last year.

Two men were also charged with cargo theft after they allegedly stole a police decoy trailer in central Florida they believed was full of goods. They were captured in Doral.

“The cargo thieves are very intuitive, Upgrow said. “They’ll use several techniques.”

Webeco Foods owner Jose Thijeiro knows all about cargo being stolen. His cheese products disappeared.

“When you have theft, eventually it will get back to the customer in the long run, either through a rate increases at the insurance company or at the retail level with stores,” Thijeiro said.

Criminals not only target the big trucks you drive by. They're also knocking down concrete walls to steal in volume. Goods slated for South Florida stores are ending up as far away as Texas.

They do not care who they sell it to,” Upgrow said. “If you have the dollars, it’s going to you.”

Police said if penalties, which are normally three years in prison, were stiffer then criminals would think twice about stealing an entire truck.

Hodge didn't return NBC 6’s phone calls and the attorneys for the two others arrested could not be reached.

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