A driver hauled 41,336 pounds (75 drums) of 99.7% USP/FCC-grade glycerin from Hammond, Indiana toward 16850 Canal Street, Thornton, Illinois with paperwork that appeared legitimate, but Cook County investigators say the US$60,000 load's details had been cloned. Intelligence alerted the Cook County Sheriff's Police Organized Retail Crime and Cargo Theft Task Force, which obtained the bill of lading, tracked the semi-trailer and conducted a traffic stop in Thornton before anyone unloaded the freight — the full load was recovered and returned to its lawful owners. Preliminary findings indicate the driver did not knowingly participate; the inquiry centres on fraudulent access or manipulation involving a transportation system, unauthorised system access, cloned documentation and a suspected fraudulent cross-docking destination. Commander Michael Ware framed it as increasingly sophisticated strategic cargo theft exploiting transportation systems rather than breaking into trailers. No arrests or suspects have been named publicly and the case remains active; the driver and the company connected with the suspected operation are under continuing examination. The task force has handled similar fictitious pickups recently, including suspected carrier impersonation involving a US$586,000 copper load and a US$647,000 Nike fictitious pickup near Chicago.

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