One consequence of the AI boom is that tons of infrastructure is needed to power and run all the massive data centres, and naturally, all that infrastructure is worth a lot of money. And it seems like cargo thieves have caught on to this fact.
As reported by Business Insider, investigators with Illinois’ Cook County Sheriff’s Office reportedly found a pair of trailers containing over $1.3 million worth of data center supplies in a truck yard.
The Sheriff’s department apparently received a tip that over $300,000 worth of copper wire spools were stuffed away in containers, and upon investigation, the officers found significantly more supplies as a result.
That copper was reportedly stolen in Pine Hill, Alabama, and then transported away from the scene of the crime. Investigators say the yard owner claims that the owner of the truck delivered another load a week prior, and that this additional truck—from Jacksonville, Florida—had $1 million worth of product in it (it’s not clear exactly what that equipment is).