- Cook County investigators found nearly $3 million in allegedly stolen retail goods while tracking a Target cargo trailer stolen in Joliet, Ill
- The recovered merchandise included products from multiple retailers and was linked to thefts in several states.
- Illinois ranks third nationally for cargo theft as industry groups urge Congress to pass legislation targeting organized retail crime.
Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigators tracking a stolen cargo trailer with Target merchandise in Illinois discovered a Chicago-area warehouse with $3 million in looted goods.
“The investigation into where the stolen merchandise originated from, who was responsible for the thefts, and where they were being sold is ongoing,” Sophia Ansari, a spokesperson for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, told Transport Topics.
The surprise warehouse cache — discovered while investigating a single stolen trailer — contained shelves piled high and pallets packed tall with retail goods. Insurance company investigators contacted the Sheriff’s Police Organized Retail Crime unit investigators for help regarding a trailer with Target merchandise stolen Dec. 13 from a freight-forwarding service facility in the 2200 block of Maple Road in Joliet, Ill., Ansari added…