My first experience with cargo theft was one summer during university. I was working the graveyard shift on a loading dock and noticed a co-worker putting boxes of new appliances into a strategically located garbage bin, which only he was allowed to empty. It was obvious he was taking out more than trash.

From crimes of opportunity to complex fraud, cargo theft takes $5 billion a year out of Canada’s economy, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. In 2020, Ontario had the dubious honor of being tops in North America for commercial cargo theft.

Covid has aggravated the problem. There’s a lot of freight moving, and carriers and warehouses are hiring fast. Poor background checks, desperate times, and the perception that cargo theft is a victimless crime have turned a lot of people into crooks.

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