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The problem with being the biggest game in town
is that you have a lot to lose.
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The US Attorney’s Office in Central California
recently issued a press release detailing the
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activities of a crime syndicate that targeted
one of the country’s largest retailers,
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Amazon.
In a scheme that involved a lot of stolen goods,
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officers in Florida and California are said to
have arrested 13 alleged members and associates
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of Armenian organized crime syndicates.
The individuals are being charged in 5
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different federal complaints, but the one
involving Amazon is said to comprise millions
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in stolen cargo.
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According to the California DA, the group is a
Russian mafia affiliated transnational criminal
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organization.
That has been operating a crime ring out of Los
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Angeles.
One such operation involved group members
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posing as truck drivers to enroll with Amazon
as carriers.
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After receiving the goods, the group members
allegedly diverted some or all of the shipments
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that were destined for Amazon warehouses.
Reports say the DOJ seized the individual’s
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phones and found photos and videos of
warehouses lined with boxes of crock pots,
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Keurig coffee machines, keratin shampoo, Webber
grills, and other goods.
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Amazon reportedly provided an estimate of $83
million in stolen goods credited to the scheme.
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Reports say Amazon is at present plagued by
recurring thefts of its shipments,
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and while it has ramped up its efforts to track
down illegal behavior,
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cargo theft is still a particularly widespread
activity.
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In fact, CNBC said that industry-wide cargo
theft-related losses are estimated to be close
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to $1 billion or more per year.
I’m Manu Wells.
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This is manufacturing now.