Police in Los Angeles Tuesday announced an arrest and the recovery of $1 million in allegedly stolen merchandise, from trendy travel cups to major-label sportswear and even portable vaccuums, by a task force formed to battle cargo theft.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, detectives with its Commercial Crimes Division-Cargo Theft Task Force — in collaboration with the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad Police, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Police, Alameda Belt Line Police, Los Angeles Port Police and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation — served a search warrant on Wednesday at “Shoes n Shoes” in Whitter and recovered the merchandise, which was allegedly stolen from BNSF and Union Pacific Railroad train property.
About 60 pallets of cargo were recovered. Included in the allegedly ill-gotten loot were Yeti cups and jugs; Nike, New Balance, Brooks, and Sanuk shoes; JanSport backpacks and Shark vacuums, according to the LAPD.
“During the execution of the search warrant, detectives contacted the business owner, Waseem Saman admitted to purchasing much of his inventory from brokers or middlemen, who are illegitimate distributors of the brands mentioned above,” according to an LAPD statement.
Saman, 45, of Placentia, was arrested and booked at the LAPD’s Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He was released on his own recognizance the following day.
“This case underscores the importance of interagency collaboration to combat large-scale cargo theft and to preserve the integrity of commercial supply chains,” according to the LAPD statement.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information was urged to contact the LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-8766 or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247) during non-business hours or on weekends.
Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).