AREAS OF SATG ACTIVITY --------------------- CHARLOTTE - NEW! SEATTLE ST. LOUIS NEW YORK LOS ANGELES MIAMI SAN FRANCISCO ATLANTA CHICAGO HOUSTON NEWARK ORLANDO MILWAUKEE LAS VEGAS WEST PALM BEACH DENVER FT. LAUDERDALE HONG KONG MILAN FRANKFURT SINGAPORE SIDNEY ROME BEJING TORONTO MALAYSIA COSTA RICA TOKYO MADRID |
| Knowledge know the edge |
SATG - South American Theft Group; a transnational criminal network recognized by the FBI
comprised mainly of Colombian nationals, but also known to include participants from
Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico, who operate world wide conducting various
crimes ranging from pick pocketing and distraction thefts to violent carjackings resulting in
homicides of jewelers.
TCN - transnational criminal network; a loosely-knit, laterally structured crime syndicate
unlike the historical, pyramidal structures as in the well studied Italian mafia.
DISTRACTION THEFTS - any variety of ways to avert a target's attention away from their
property and/or perpetrators such as the use of fronts, ketchup, flash bulb, etc.
FENCE - person able to purchase or move stolen property.
PERIPHERAL FACILITATOR - persons able to assist the SATG in specific ways. These
are not the people cutting tires or jamming a shotgun in your face necessarily, but rather the
industry insider marking targets, the fence, the bail bond agent, rental car agent, building
manager, DMV employee, etc.
TARGET - a potential victim of the SATG. Could be a jewelery salesman, vendor, courier,
customer. Could be a lady having lunch at an outdoor cafe. Could be a tractor trailer hauling
microchips. Could be every chain retail store known to man from Wal-Mart and Costco to
Neiman Marcus and Coach. Could be you if you just bought a laptop and are walking to your
car.
TJS - travelling jewel salesperson. They are heavily targeted.
BLIND SPOT - actually, you'll have to enroll in a training class for this one.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE - this refers to the specific gadgets, modus operandi and tools
utilized by the SATG as well as effective strategies utilized by law enforcement against the
SATG. All of these are covered in great detail in the classes.
FLIM FLAM - a con or ruse commonly utilizing lottery tickets or coins to separate you from
your money.
BOOSTING - generally, retail theft conducted in a variety of ways including special bags or
other contraptions.
SCHOOL OF 7 BELLS - a legend regarding the training of the early SATG members in the
art of pick pocketing. To graduate, it is said, the thieves in training would have to lift items
from the pockets of a dressed mannequin without ringing the bells that were also in the
pockets. Other stories hold there were razor blades in the pockets, asserting further that pick
pockets have scars on their hands.
BLACK MARKET PESO EXCHANGE - open markets in Bogota, Colombia thought to be
operated by the drug cartels where money laundering occurs on large scales. Much of the
stolen merchandise from around the US and the world is thought to be shipped there. They
are also referred to as the San Andresitos.
HUBS - There are three "hubs" where the majority of the SATG activity is conducted. It is no
coincidence that the three SATG hubs are consistent with the three jewelery hubs in the U.S. -
New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. However, there is an abundance of SATG activity in San
Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, and Newark.
comprised mainly of Colombian nationals, but also known to include participants from
Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico, who operate world wide conducting various
crimes ranging from pick pocketing and distraction thefts to violent carjackings resulting in
homicides of jewelers.
TCN - transnational criminal network; a loosely-knit, laterally structured crime syndicate
unlike the historical, pyramidal structures as in the well studied Italian mafia.
DISTRACTION THEFTS - any variety of ways to avert a target's attention away from their
property and/or perpetrators such as the use of fronts, ketchup, flash bulb, etc.
FENCE - person able to purchase or move stolen property.
PERIPHERAL FACILITATOR - persons able to assist the SATG in specific ways. These
are not the people cutting tires or jamming a shotgun in your face necessarily, but rather the
industry insider marking targets, the fence, the bail bond agent, rental car agent, building
manager, DMV employee, etc.
TARGET - a potential victim of the SATG. Could be a jewelery salesman, vendor, courier,
customer. Could be a lady having lunch at an outdoor cafe. Could be a tractor trailer hauling
microchips. Could be every chain retail store known to man from Wal-Mart and Costco to
Neiman Marcus and Coach. Could be you if you just bought a laptop and are walking to your
car.
TJS - travelling jewel salesperson. They are heavily targeted.
BLIND SPOT - actually, you'll have to enroll in a training class for this one.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE - this refers to the specific gadgets, modus operandi and tools
utilized by the SATG as well as effective strategies utilized by law enforcement against the
SATG. All of these are covered in great detail in the classes.
FLIM FLAM - a con or ruse commonly utilizing lottery tickets or coins to separate you from
your money.
BOOSTING - generally, retail theft conducted in a variety of ways including special bags or
other contraptions.
SCHOOL OF 7 BELLS - a legend regarding the training of the early SATG members in the
art of pick pocketing. To graduate, it is said, the thieves in training would have to lift items
from the pockets of a dressed mannequin without ringing the bells that were also in the
pockets. Other stories hold there were razor blades in the pockets, asserting further that pick
pockets have scars on their hands.
BLACK MARKET PESO EXCHANGE - open markets in Bogota, Colombia thought to be
operated by the drug cartels where money laundering occurs on large scales. Much of the
stolen merchandise from around the US and the world is thought to be shipped there. They
are also referred to as the San Andresitos.
HUBS - There are three "hubs" where the majority of the SATG activity is conducted. It is no
coincidence that the three SATG hubs are consistent with the three jewelery hubs in the U.S. -
New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. However, there is an abundance of SATG activity in San
Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, and Newark.
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| SOUTH AMERICAN THEFT GROUP INTELLIGENCE NETWORK |