Kentucky State Police recovers $5.2 million in cargo theft property

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Andy Beshear has announced the Kentucky State Police recovered over $5 million in cargo theft property.

According to the governor, the KSP Vehicle Investigations Branch shut down an organized theft ring that was responsible for over $10 million in theft.

The governor further stated KSP opened 16 cargo theft investigations during this time, resulting in 10 federal indictments and seven arrests.

Cargo theft refers to the unauthorized taking of goods or commodities during transportation.

KSP says within the last year, they noticed a trend of cargo thefts throughout Kentucky, targeting the food and beverage industry. These types of theft involve electronic crimes, as well as identity theft and manipulating trucking resources to threaten supply chains, Beshear says.

Details surrounding the exact goods involved in this case have not been released at this time.

In August at the Midwest Cargo Security Council Summit, two KSP investigators from the branch, detective Steve Spurlock and criminal intel analyst Gary Thomas, received awards for their investigative accomplishments involving this case.

“Detective Spurlock and I have focused our efforts on combating cargo theft operations,” Thomas said. “We partner with local, state and federal partners across the country to recover property and prosecute those who commit these crimes. It is rewarding to see them brought to justice and return the property to victims involved.”