A new crime wave in the supply chain
Data center hardware is increasingly being targeted by organized crime while in transit from factory to facility. According to an extensive NBC report, more than $100 million worth of computing gear has been stolen through various transit interception methods since June 2026. The stolen goods include servers, fiber-optic and copper cabling, RAM modules, drives and routers.
The playbook: hacking, fake IDs and GPS deception
Thieves first gain access to the online accounts of freight brokers and carriers, where they can view cargo manifests and shipping schedules and impersonate shipping companies. In some cases, GPS beacon impersonation was used to broadcast fake coordinates so that neither humans nor automated systems suspected anything. In a few incidents, escort cars were rammed to let the truck escape; in those cases the driver was likely complicit. AI-generated IDs and poor personnel vetting make it easier for such people to get behind the wheel.
Buyers are waiting overseas
Rather than ending up on the second-hand market, the gear appears to have overseas buyers lined up before the heist. Law enforcement officials believe entities in countries under strict U.S. AI export controls, including China, are absorbing the hardware. Scott Cornell of TAPA Americas estimates that six to seven out of 10 stolen cargo shipments end up overseas.
Why it matters
As AI investment drives demand for servers and chips, supply chain security is emerging as a new risk area. Experts say the syndicates operate like big corporations and have penetrated the supply chain at every level, from drivers to warehouse operators.
