Key facts
- Investigators recovered over $1.3 million in stolen data center supplies from a Chicago-area truck yard.
- The recovered items included $300,000 worth of copper wire spools and $1 million worth of data center infrastructure equipment.
- The copper wire was stolen from Pine Hill, Alabama, and the infrastructure equipment from Jacksonville, Florida.
- Cargo theft is a significant issue in the US, with losses estimated at up to $35 billion annually.
- The boom in data center construction has created new opportunities for criminal groups.
Cargo thieves have identified data center supplies as a new target, with investigators in Illinois recovering over $1.3 million in stolen equipment. The Cook County Sheriff's Office discovered two trailers at a Chicago-area truck yard containing approximately $300,000 worth of copper wire spools, reported stolen from Pine Hill, Alabama, and $1 million worth of data center infrastructure equipment, stolen from Jacksonville, Florida.
Copper wiring is essential for building and connecting data centers. This development highlights the evolving tactics of organized retail crime rings, which have previously targeted metals like platinum, palladium, and copper for industrial applications. The US Department of Homeland Security estimates that cargo thefts result in annual losses of up to $35 billion. The recent surge in data center construction has presented a new lucrative opportunity for these criminal groups.