motor yacht on the sea, symbolic photo for luxury, leisure, vacaWhen a property owner contacts the police to report that their boat has been stolen, most police departments follow procedure by sending an officer to investigate. The officer does his job, interviewing the victim, gathering information about the stolen property and filing a report.

Unfortunately, many police departments are understaffed. Officers are already so busy with trying to control violent criminal activities that the report about a stolen boat usually won’t be at the top of the priority list. But when the boat happens to be worth anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million, the insurance company covering the stolen boat will likely want more attention than the police department offers, especially if red flags signal potential insurance fraud.

In that situation, insurance companies often seek help from private investigators.

That was exactly the action taken last year by insurance carriers with policies covering five high-speed, incredibly expensive boats. The boats were brazenly stolen from the docks behind the owners’ home along the Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County, Florida. In fact, everyone was baffled. The very pricey boats seemed to simply vanish into thin air.

Once the private investigator accepted the case, all types of possibilities unfolded. But the most accurate centered on the possibility that very seasoned criminals intended to use the fast boats to smuggle illegal aliens from Cuba to Mexico. Using these top-of-the-line speed boats, the criminals could then provide their customers with border entry into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. This particular case is still under investigation and state and federal authorities are now involved.

The investigator did not uncover insurance fraud but the red flags were enough to encourage the insurance companies to pursue further investigation. It was the evidence gathered by the private investigator that revealed the human smuggling connection.

This case is a perfect reminder about what professionals from say at the onset of every case: it is impossible to know where a case will lead so they are always prepared to follow every lead and pursue every angle. There is no way to know what will work or what skills will be required.

Because of the professional level and variety of services at , clients are assured they will be serviced by the best of the best.

  • High level of confidentiality.
  • Highly skilled researchers.
  • Professionals in digital forensics, including cellular tower triangulation, mobile phone forensic analysis, data extraction software, forensic data recovery and computer forensics investigations.
  • Experts in surveillance and state of the art surveillance equipment.
  • Experts in the use of latest technology for TCSM (Technical Surveillance Countermeasures)
  • Professional in the gathering and preservation of evidence to be used in court.

When you, your company or your attorney need the services of a private investigator, choose a firm like that has the experience and resources to follow every lead immediately. You don’t have to wait for another specialist to be called in with .

-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations