Stolen cars heading to West Africa being intercepted at Port of Baltimore
Cars stolen from the District, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond are winding up in shipping containers, headed overseas, and it’s a problem that customs officials say is getting worse.
Port of Baltimore Director Adam Rottman told FOX 5 that last fiscal year they intercepted 149 stolen cars, but in the last three months, that number is already at 70, on pace to just about double last fiscal year’s total.
"Transnational criminal organizations will make money any way they can, whether it’s drugs, terrorism, human smuggling, selling fake Care Bears, anything they can do to make a dollar," Rottman told FOX 5, "And right now, the market is hot for these stolen cars going over to West Africa."
Criminals will steal the cars, try to quickly rip out any manufacturer-installed GPS tracking systems, and race them to the port before they’re reported stolen, often hiding them in containers packed with random household items in order to conceal the stolen cars.
On Thursday, we found a 2011 Hyundai Elantra that was reported stolen from a Northwest D.C. home last summer, but Rottman says most of the cars that wind up at the port are high-end models like Land Rovers and BMW SUVs.
Off-duty Prince George's County police officer and family carjacked in Oxon Hill
At least a dozen Prince George's County police cruisers gathered along Oxon Hill road, not far from the National Harbor Tanger Outlets, Thursday night after an off-duty officer was allegedly involved in a shooting.
This week, agents seized a brand new $55,000 Ford Bronco. Police in Wayne, Detroit confirmed to FOX 5 it was stolen straight from the Ford plant where it was built.
Last spring, agents also seized a $75,000 BMW X5, reported stolen by Joe Mazzocchi in New Jersey.
"Extremely shocking," Mazzocchi said. "I mean I think it was more than 200 miles away from where I left the vehicle and, according to my insurance company and US Customs, it was found in a container ready to be shipped overseas."
Now, with car thefts up a staggering 82% last year in the District, the message is clear.
"First thing you do is call the police. First thing you do is get that reported, so we can intercept it here in Baltimore," Rottman said.
Police say it’s also worth buying an AirTag or Tile and placing it somewhere in your car, so that officers can quickly track the vehicle down before it gets shipped overseas.