Stolen cars are being discovered by inspectors at seaports, including in Georgia.
In the current year alone, law enforcement has successfully foiled the theft of 18 vehicles, with an estimated total value exceeding $1.1 million.
During the inspection of shipping containers in Savannah and Charleston, S.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered the vehicles.
Several countries, including Ghana, Libya, Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, were the intended destinations for the shipment of cars, as reported by investigators.
On April 19, CBP officers in Savannah made a significant recovery of two luxury vehicles – a 2023 Bentley and a 2022 Mercedes – with a combined estimated value of $398,000. It was on March 13 when CBP discovered another valuable find at the Savannah seaport, consisting of a 2023 Cadillac Escalade and a 2019 Mercedes G-Wagon. These vehicles were intended for shipment to Turkey.
In the previous year, authorities at the ports of entry in Charleston and Savannah successfully retrieved a total of 59 stolen vehicles, amounting to an estimated value of $7,597,528.
According to officials, individuals used fraudulent IDs and stolen credit cards to acquire certain vehicles from car dealerships. Additionally, some cars were fraudulently reserved and subsequently stolen from rental companies.
Victims were reportedly unaware of the crime until contacted by CBP officers, as stated by authorities.