According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, attempts to smuggle stolen luxury cars abroad through the Port of Savannah, Georgia, are increasing. On Thursday, the organization gave local Georgia media representatives a tour of the port to illustrate their operations and the rise in stolen vehicles arriving there.
According to CBP, more than 120 stolen vehicles have been stopped in the past two years as they tried to enter the port laden with cargo bound for foreign countries. The automobiles were given a value of almost $10 million.
They reported seizing three automobiles this week alone. They predicted that this year alone, they will seize between 75 and 125 stolen vehicles transiting through the Port of Savannah, with an estimated total market worth of $6 to $8 million. In 2023, they anticipate inspecting more than three million vehicles entering the Port of Savannah.
Officers made a point of highlighting how frequently they are inspecting containers leaving the country during the tour. They examine the papers to seek for falsified or dubious documents. Containers that seem suspicious are marked for closer examination.
During the visit, CBP Watch Commander Joseph Walkin reminded the reporters that "at the Port of Savannah, every day is game day. "We will track you down if you bring it via the Port of Savannah. We're going to charge you.
The port's containers are being x-rayed as they pass through. The cops claimed that when that causes greater alarm, they pull the container aside for a physical examination. The vehicles are brought out and thoroughly inspected. They search for things like mismatched or fraudulent VIN numbers to recognize stolen autos.
Also, they are searching the vehicles for illegal goods that are being carried abroad. They are searching nooks and crevices of cars for hidden weapons, cash, and drugs. To uncover the concealed things, they occasionally need to disassemble the autos.
The police claimed that vehicles are being taken from the streets and frequently transported to Africa. They claimed that organized criminal and drug trafficking groups use the cars as a source of funding. They claimed a luxury car priced at $60,000 could sell for twice that amount abroad.
The amount of stolen vehicle smuggling at the port has been brought up by CBP before. They claimed intercepting 40 stolen autos worth roughly $1.5 million in July 2020 during their outgoing enforcement operations and shipping container inspections. The shipping containers, which included anything from sedans to luxury sport utility vehicles, a pickup truck, and even a Rolls-Royce, according to CBP officers, were bound for destinations such as Ghana, Iraq, Libya, and Jordan.
