Earlier this week, Chicago police cracked down on a complex criminal operation, uncovering millions in stolen goods at a West Side warehouse.
CBS Chicago reports that police traced the operation to Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, where the group targeted items from rail cars en route to retailers. Their West Side warehouse served as their operational hub, containing nearly $5 million worth of stolen merchandise, including renowned brands such as Nike, Adidas, Supreme, and UGG.
The investigation advanced when a cargo theft was reported in the vicinity, leading investigators to trace the crimes back to the warehouse. They obtained a search warrant and found a significant cache of stolen goods.
“Whether it be Nike products or UGG products or Adidas or Supreme, a lot of massive amounts of property, it’s probably close to $5 million in merchandise, minimum,” said Lyons Police Chief Tom Heroin.
“What they would do is they’d commit these cargo thefts, like from Memphis, Tennessee. They’d re-label it, and they would ship it here. They would unpackage it, repackage it, and it’s a 100% markup because they got it all for nothing,” Heroin said.
Up to this point, two unnamed individuals have been charged with the bust, while an ongoing investigation involves several others.
