Most cargo theft stories involve electronics, cigarettes, or the occasional truckload of sneakers. This one involves something a little more industrial — nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide powder, worth close to $3 million, that a California man allegedly obtained using fraudulent documents and was hauling westbound across Indiana when police caught up with him.
The arrest happened early Saturday morning, June 28, when officers with the Greenfield Police Department in Indiana received a tip about a semi-trailer traveling westbound on Interstate 70 through Hancock County. The truck was already flagged as wanted in connection with a cargo theft that had taken place in Pennsylvania just three days earlier, on June 25. Officers located the rig near the Greenfield exit at mile marker 104 and pulled it over.
Behind the wheel was 31-year-old Deepak Kumar of Fresno, California. According to investigators, Kumar is suspected of using fraudulent documents to take possession of a shipment of tungsten oxide powder that was supposed to be on its way to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan. The load weighed in at nearly 40,000 pounds and carried a value of $2,857,500 — not exactly something you accidentally misplace.
Kumar was arrested on the spot and transported to the Hancock County Jail. The truck and trailer were impounded by Inman’s Towing of Greenfield and held as evidence while search warrants were executed. A search of the trailer confirmed the cargo was inside, and by Sunday, a representative from Mitsubishi Materials Corporation had arrived in Greenfield to take possession of it.
Fraudulent Documents and a Very Long Drive
The method allegedly used here — obtaining cargo using fake paperwork — is a known tactic in commercial freight theft circles, sometimes called “fictitious pickup.” Rather than stopping a truck in transit, thieves pose as legitimate carriers, pick up the load at the origin point, and disappear. In this case, the disappearing act didn’t get very far.
Pennsylvania authorities issued an arrest warrant charging Kumar with theft by unlawful taking of movable property and criminal use of a communication facility. Indiana prosecutors are also reviewing whether additional state charges apply following the traffic stop and search.
What Is Tungsten Oxide, Anyway?
For those not in the chemical supply chain business, tungsten oxide is an industrial compound used in a range of manufacturing applications — including the production of tungsten metal, coatings, and certain electronic components.
It’s not the kind of thing you’d move on the black market at a local swap meet, which raises questions about what the alleged plan actually was. Regardless, it’s the sort of material that legitimate industrial manufacturers like Mitsubishi Materials depend on, making the theft a genuine disruption to international supply chains.
Cargo Theft on the Rise
This case is a reminder that cargo theft in the U.S. is not a small-time problem. Organized operations targeting freight have become increasingly sophisticated, and the value of individual loads makes commercial trucking an attractive target. The Greenfield police acted quickly on the tip, and the recovery within days of the original theft is the kind of outcome that doesn’t always happen in these cases.
The truck remains in impound as evidence, and the investigation continues as prosecutors on both sides of the state line determine next steps for Kumar.