Refrigerated freight trucks transporting seafood from Yucatán to central Mexico, like many other cargo transporters, have become the target of thieves.

But starting today, private and public security forces will monitor and guard the trucks to combat the robberies.

The ever increasing number of armed thefts of the fresh cargo — and the millions of pesos in losses — led industrial fishing companies and cooperatives to request the intervention of federal forces.

In response to the insecurity, insurance companies raised the freight companies’ deductibility percentages by 25 to 40%, which resulted in higher costs.

On Saturday their plea for help was heeded when authorities announced that the Federal Police and a private security company will safeguard shipments.

The state Public Security Secretariat will also participate, guarding the trucks all the way to the border with the state of Campeche.

Freight companies have reported that the largest number of thefts occur on the Veracruz-Mexico City highway, and that the product most affected are octopus shipments destined for the capital and Monterrey, Nuevo León.

While fishermen are paid less than 120 pesos (US $6.40) for a kilogram of their fresh octopus, the same quantity can get prices of US $14 to $21 on the international market.

Source: Milenio (sp)