La Jornada: Pattern of assaults on cargo trucks in Edomex identified

The Mexiquense Exterior Circuit is “a critical point for cargo transportation in the center of the country, but also in an area that is especially vulnerable to merchandise theft,” warned the risk analysis firm Overhaul.

More than half of the goods stolen on this route are placed on the market without leaving a trace, given that they are high-turnover products, such as food, beverages, pharmaceutical items, clothing and footwear, he added.

The firm added that two out of every three robberies on this 117-kilometer highway that crosses 19 municipalities in the state of Mexico and links the metropolitan area of ​​the Valley of Mexico with key routes to Querétaro, Puebla and Hidalgo involved tractor-trailers (with 63 percent of the cases).

Cargo vans continued to be the most robbed vehicles, with 27 percent of the searches.

The food and beverage sector was the most affected, with 28 percent of the incidents, followed by pharmaceuticals, with 12 percent; clothing and footwear, 8 percent, while household and garden items represent 6 percent of the total stolen items. “This is merchandise with high turnover and quick resale, which is placed without leaving a trace.”

In the first five months of this year, a clear pattern was observed, the firm highlighted in an analysis: crime is not distributed uniformly, but is concentrated in specific points.

Five municipalities accounted for 65 percent of the robberies recorded on the road. Ecatepec heads the list (16 percent), followed by Tultepec and Nextlalpan (14 percent each), Jaltenco (12) and Cuautitlán Izcalli, 9 percent.

“Two out of three assaults were perpetrated within a handful of perfectly identifiable kilometers,” Overhaul said.

The when is as important as the where. More than half of the assaults (56 percent) were committed between Wednesday and Thursday of each week, “as if the crime had its work day,” the firm noted.

Furthermore, the time at which the robberies occurred confirm a pattern: 45 percent of the incidents were perpetrated between 6 and 11 p.m., when it gets dark and traffic increases; 26 percent, between 12 and 4 p.m., while the remaining 23 percent have been committed in the early morning hours, from 6 to 9 a.m.

“The early morning, on the other hand, recorded few events, but it should not be interpreted in the sense that crime is resting, but rather that there are fewer units circulating. Where there is no cargo, there is no one to rob.

“Knowing in detail the patterns of cargo theft, how they behave by region, by road and by type of merchandise, allows us to anticipate where and when an incident is most likely to occur, and adjust the logistics operation accordingly.

“In a corridor like the Exterior of Mexico, where crime is concentrated in identified municipalities, sections, days and times, this precise reading of the environment allows the authorities and cargo owners to prevent it,” Overhaul stated.