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Arrests and searches in the fight against cargo theft Echt, Eindhoven, Loon op Zand, Valkenswaard - On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, police arrested two men, aged 19 and 46, from Eindhoven and Valkenswaard, for cargo theft. Four locations in Loon op Zand, Echt, Eindhoven, and Valkenswaard were searched. Police officers from the National Expertise and Operations Unit found, among other things, several pallets of goods that may have originated from (cargo) theft. A third, 47-year-old man was arrested in his cell on Tuesday. Police car at warehouse entrance Further investigation into the origin of the goods is underway. On Friday, March 1, the examining magistrate will decide whether the detainees will remain in custody. The buildings and suspects came to light during an ongoing investigation by the Infrastructure Department of the National Expertise and Operations Unit, in collaboration with the Zeeland-West-Brabant Unit. This was an investigation into cargo thieves, receivers (sellers of stolen goods), and stolen cargo. The third suspect had previously been sentenced by the Limburg District Court to 20 months in prison for two cargo thefts he committed in February 2023. Further investigation revealed that this suspect worked with several associates. The group operated internationally and with great sophistication. The men were found to be responsible for at least seven cargo thefts, totaling over €1 million in damages. Cargo Theft Cargo theft is a major problem in the Netherlands; companies that fall victim to it suffer significant financial losses, which can run into hundreds of thousands of euros. Thieves typically steal electronics and clothing, and they also take anything they consider tradable. Caught in the Act In 2023, the Infrastructure Department arrested 33 suspects in the act and reported at least 229 cases of cargo theft to the police. "Sometimes the stolen cargo was recovered," reports René Middag, national coordinator for Mobile Banditry. "We often track down perpetrators and cargo in collaboration with expert agencies or insurance company representatives. The actual number of thefts will be higher because the theft is often discovered late or abroad. It is then unclear where the thieves committed the crime." The vast majority of cargo thefts occur in the southern Netherlands. Fake Carriers A variant of cargo theft is so-called fake carrier fraud. Criminals pose as carriers or falsify documents to obtain cargo through a digital marketplace. According to René Middag, the number of cases of this fraud increased in 2023. Awareness The police and the Public Prosecution Service are working together to tackle this type of crime. It is therefore important that companies that have been victims report the crime. Companies are urged to be alert to signs of cargo theft. René Middag: "Ask yourself: who are you doing business with? Who will ultimately pick up the cargo? Would anyone familiar with the process be able to take the cargo without question? Think carefully about which locations are uncrowded and therefore attractive to thieves, and which vehicles are transporting valuable cargo." #politics #Investigations #cargotheft