'It’s so much easier to steal this than to rob a bank': $100,000,000+ worth of AI data center freight reportedly stolen since June

The explosion in artificial intelligence data centers across the United States has brought new challenges, including unprecedented amounts of equipment needing transport. Unfortunately, this has attracted the attention of thieves, resulting in millions of dollars worth of equipment being stolen. Two high-profile instances involved highway robbery, with thieves deliberately ramming security vehicles in the Mojave Desert, forcing escorts to stop and stealing $13 million worth of server equipment.

Another incident saw a trailer carrying an estimated $10 million in server rack components damaged by a collision with a security vehicle.

Experts are sounding the alarm, stating that these "hit-and-run style thefts" represent a potential escalation of violent tactics more commonly seen in other countries. Scott Cornell of the Transported Asset Protection Association, Americas, warns that these are not unsophisticated crews but rather highly organized, international rings. They meticulously plan, plot, and execute their thefts like a game of chess within the supply chain.

The value of stolen equipment, which includes servers, copper wires, fiber optic cables, RAM modules, and storage drives, is so high that some heists have reached into the 30-plus million dollar range. As such, it seems criminals view data center freight as an increasingly lucrative target. Law enforcement agencies and private security escorts are struggling to keep up, with new bills being proposed in Congress to combat organized retail crime.