OTTAWA — After four trucks went missing this year in Ottawa, police reported they suspect organized cargo crime.

All four cases involved the same target: 53-footers that usually end up in the Montreal area, detectives told the Ottawa Sun.

Detectives said trucks carrying food and drink or building and industrial supplies are most commonly targeted.

The best protective strategy, according to police, is to install hidden GPS tracking systems in trucks or to use geo-fencing.

“With geo-fencing you create a virtual fence around the vehicle,” the detective said. “If the vehicle moves outside the 50-meter perimeter, someone is notified.”

Detectives suspect that the thieves, part of a bigger operation including brokers and middlemen, get hired at the targeted warehouse. They then pass information about alarm systems, cameras and other security measures as well as the type of cargo trucks carry and when the targeted truck will be unguarded.

This information allows the thieves to sell the merchandise quickly, detectives believe.

Read the full Ottawa Sun story here.