Detectives Smash Alleged Cargo Theft Rings Reselling Stolen Freight Online

U.S. law enforcement has dismantled multiple alleged cargo-theft rings operating online, with stolen freight resold through Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and the live-streaming marketplace Whatnot. Police say transnational crime groups are flooding online platforms with high-value, easily redistributed goods, turning logistics hubs into hotspots for theft and resale. In Illinois, a Palos Heights Police Department investigation uncovered a large-scale fencing operation after Sitka Gear, a hunting gear brand, reported 100 pairs of stolen boots worth $40,000. An investigator traced identical listings on Facebook Marketplace and eBay, leading to a purchase that was delivered from a Palos Heights address.

Police executed search warrants and found the suspect, Almahdi Qasem, 20, allegedly selling Sitka boots alongside Bissell vacuums, Nike and Puma shoes, water tanks, LG computer monitors, headphones, blenders, and other consumer goods. A raid on Qasem’s home and a storage unit recovered $250,000 worth of stolen merchandise linked to multiple freight thefts. Qasem faces a Class 1 felony charge for theft exceeding $100,000 but under $500,000. In Tennessee, Gregory Luss, 44, pleaded guilty to possessing stolen goods after posting a Water Pik product for sale on eBay the same day a semitractor-trailer filled with Water Piks bound for Amazon was stolen in Memphis.

Luss faces up to 10 years in federal prison with no parole. Los Angeles Police recently arrested Hannah Noto, 25, and Jude Bigay, 26, in a separate cargo-theft investigation. Verisk CargoNet reports $131.58 million in cargo theft losses in the first quarter of 2026, unchanged from 2025, with confirmed cases up 29% to 767. Organized crime groups are increasingly targeting high-value, easily resold goods, with holiday weekends—including Memorial Day—remaining prime opportunities for theft.

Police emphasize that cargo theft disrupts interstate commerce, inflates consumer costs, and undermines supply chains, with online marketplaces serving as key enablers for resale.