Your Packages May be Looted Daily in Los Angeles by Thieves

Dear dropshipping business owners, according to the report on 13 Jan by CBSLA, multiple freight train thefts have occurred on Union Pacific train tracks in Los Angeles, USA. Please be aware that if your customer experiences a lost or delayed package in the United States, the package possibly has already been robbed in Los Angeles.

"Missing a package? Shipment delayed? Maybe your package is among the thousands we found discarded along the tracks," CBS Los Angeles photographer John Schreiber posted on Twitter with a stretch of photos and videos of railroad near Lincoln Heights in downtown Los Angeles. He also said that this is just one area where thieves are targeting trains, and the area was just cleaned 30 days ago.

It has been reported by CBSLA that dozens of freight trains are looted every day on LA's railways by thieves who rob valuable packages bought online when the trains stop, leaving thousands of abandoned boxes and trash scattered on the track.

Many major US mail order and courier companies such as Amazon, Target, UPS, and FedEx were hit by theft. According to John Schreiber's tweet on Thursday, the looted packages as far as the eye can see include Amazon packages, UPS boxes, unused Covid tests, fishing lures, epi pens, etc.

Thieves give up products that are difficult to move, resell, or are too cheap. Schreiber learned from local law enforcement that UPS bags are popular among those "thieves opening cargo containers" because "they are often full of boxes with merchandise bound for residential addresses," he said.

Union Pacific has reported a 160% increase in thefts along the Los Angeles County railroad tracks since December 2020. In the last quarter of 2021, more than 90 containers were damaged per day in Los Angeles County.

In response to this trend, UP said it has stepped up surveillance measures, including drones and other detection systems, and has recruited more security personnel for the tracks and fleet.