In recent years, ports in the Tri-State area, particularly in New Jersey, have become a hub for the illegal export of stolen vehicles, a problem that has severely impacted the safety of local communities.
Increasingly severe
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), auto thefts in New Jersey are up about 19 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, and in the first six months of 2024, the number is up nearly 18 percent. The city of Newark had a particularly high number of auto thefts, with 3,980 reported in 2023, a 99 percent increase from 2022.
The final destination for stolen vehicles is often West Africa, where demand for luxury cars is high, especially American-branded SUVs and premium sedans. According to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the ports of New York and Newark, a total of 368 stolen vehicles attempting to be shipped overseas have been seized at those ports in 2023, while 331 have been seized as of August 2024, which is expected to exceed last year’s total for the full year.
Some videos on social media show the stolen vehicles being shipped to West African countries such as Nigeria, where they are quickly sold in local markets. Some vehicles didn’t even have their U.S. license plates removed. Incredibly, these cars with American license plates can be used on local roads without anyone questioning their origin.
Criminal network
Jeffrey Green, acting director of the Ports of New York and Newark, noted that the export of these stolen vehicles is often operated by organized crime gangs, who use sophisticated camouflage methods to hide vehicles in containers and pass them off as legitimate goods through a global trade network. Customs officials used intelligence and X-ray scanning technology to seize a number of cleverly camouflaged containers. During one inspection, for example, officials found a Mercedes Benz limousine in good condition inside a container covered by two garbage trucks.
These criminal gangs are not only highly skilled at stealing vehicles, they also exploit loopholes in global trade networks to disguise stolen vehicles as legitimate goods for export. In New Jersey, for example, a New Jersey resident’s BMW SUV was stolen just eight days after it was purchased in August, and despite multiple security measures she took, the thieves managed to steal the vehicle by breaking into a locked window.
The head of the local police department pointed out that the current law has led to repeated vehicle thefts being released soon after arrest, and the end result is that the theft of vehicles is repeated and even intensified.
Although auto thefts in the Tri-State area declined in the first half of 2024, the problem remains serious. The data shows that auto theft in New Jersey fell by 7 percent in the first half of 2024, New York by 18 percent and Connecticut by 20 percent. However, the situation remains grim in Newark, where thefts surged 99 percent in 2023.
Security challenge
Video shared on social media shows a luxury SUV being pulled out of a container to be sold in Nigeria. Other online sellers don’t even bother to remove U.S. license plates.
“With this license plate, you can usually drive at a leisurely pace. No one is going to question you, “said Dr. Ken Germain, a former police officer with a PhD in international vehicle crime. “This is a global epidemic… Actually, it’s because the organized criminals are probably laughing at us because not only do they make a lot of money, but they don’t actually have to do a lot of work.”
Homeland Security Special Agent in charge William Walker says young people are often recruited to carry out thefts. He heads an auto crime task force that works with local law enforcement.
“They are taking advantage of the minds of young people who may not understand the consequences of their actions,” he said.
In April, Morris County’s SUV, which Laura had only been driving for a few days, was stolen when burglars broke into her home through a locked window in the middle of the night. She thinks they used a crowbar. “So you should do everything you have to do, right, to prevent car theft.” But they found the keys in about six minutes and stole our car, “she said.
Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano is lobbying lawmakers to change New Jersey’s 2016 bail reform law.
“These people are caught once, twice, three times and then released, and that is the problem,” he said. If you reach out and steal a key from someone’s window, it’s not considered a violent crime. But it’s a property crime, but it’s a violation for someone who breaks into their home.”
In the face of this growing problem, communities, governments and international law enforcement agencies are stepping up cooperation. Customs and Border Protection at Port Newark is stepping up inspections of containers and working with international law enforcement agencies to track and disrupt these organized crime networks. Owners are also advised to take additional security measures, such as using signal blocking devices and parking their vehicles in secure garages, to reduce the risk of theft.
With the recovery of the global economy and increased demand in the international market, the problem of vehicle theft in the Tri-State area is no longer just a local problem, but a global security challenge. Technology, legal reform and international cooperation all seem to be necessary to deal effectively with the problem. On the other hand, strengthening the enforcement efforts of law enforcement agencies will also become a powerful means to curb the expansion and wanton acts of criminal gangs.