Breaking

LAPD Recovers $1M in Stolen Rail Cargo at Los Angeles Shoe Retailer

Los Angeles police detectives seized 59 pallets of stolen merchandise valued at approximately $1 million during a September 30 search warrant at a Whittier shoe retailer. The recovered goods, linked to thefts from BNSF and Union Pacific rail lines, included Nike, New Balance, Brooks and Sanuk footwear alongside Yeti drinkware, JanSport backpacks and Shark vacuums. Police arrested business owner Waseem Saman, 45, of Placentia at the scene. Saman told investigators he purchased much of the inventory from brokers and middlemen operating as illegitimate distributors. He was booked at Van Nuys Jail on suspicion of receiving stolen property under California Penal Code 496(a). Union Pacific and BNSF rail police collaborated with Alameda Belt Line personnel, Los Angeles Port Police and the County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigation on the operation, underscoring ongoing efforts to combat large-scale cargo theft.