A Fresno-registered semi was stopped in Indiana after Flock license-plate readers linked the rig to a June 25 cargo theft in Pennsylvania. Police arrested 31-year-old Deepak Kumar and found nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide in the trailer, a shipment valued at about $3 million and bound for Mitsubishi Materials in Japan. Authorities allege Kumar used fraudulent documents and is in the U.S. unlawfully; he was transferred to ICE custody. The recovery underscores how plate-reader networks and coordinated policing can track and recover high-value freight across state lines.
Fresno Trucker Caught After Plate-Reader Cameras Track $3M Tungsten Haul Across States
Image Credit: Greenfield Police Department.
A Fresno-registered semi and its driver were intercepted after a network of license-plate reader cameras helped investigators connect the rig to a high-value cargo theft originating in Pennsylvania.
What Happened
Police identified the driver as 31-year-old Deepak Kumar. Indiana officers stopped the truck on Interstate 70 near Greenfield after investigators tied the semi and trailer to a reported cargo theft from Pennsylvania on June 25, according to Fox 26 News. The lead came from the Flock network of license-plate readers, which police used to follow the truck’s movements across state lines.
The Cargo
Authorities found the trailer loaded with nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide powder — a raw material used to produce tungsten carbide for cutting tools, drill bits and industrial machining. The shipment, reportedly bound for Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan, carried an estimated value close to $3 million.
Timeline And Arrest
Investigators say the vehicle was first recorded traveling westbound on I‑70 around 6 a.m. as it entered Hancock County, Indiana. Using the Flock camera network, they tracked the rig the following day and stopped it just west of Greenfield. Police arrested Kumar, who held a California commercial driver’s license. Authorities allege he entered the U.S. unlawfully and used fraudulent documents to obtain the load. Pennsylvania has issued an arrest warrant charging him with theft by unlawful taking of movable property and criminal use of a communication facility.
Aftermath
The truck and trailer were impounded and a search warrant confirmed the tungsten oxide remained in the trailer, apparently untouched. A representative from Mitsubishi Materials flew to Greenfield the next day to reclaim the shipment. Kumar was transferred to an ICE detention facility in McFarland, California.
Why It Matters
This incident highlights two trends: the attractiveness of high-value freight to thieves and the growing effectiveness of license-plate recognition and coordinated policing for recovering stolen equipment across long distances. For carriers and logistics managers, it’s a reminder to tighten documentation, cargo security and route monitoring for valuable loads.
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