In two separate heists over the past three weeks, about half a million dollars worth of gems have been swiped from jewelers traveling around South Florida.

And with the Jewelers International Showcase -- the largest wholesale show in the state -- set to open on South Beach Thursday, it's bound to get worse.

Although the robberies may appear to be random holdups, most are actually part of a semi-organized crime network known as South American Theft Groups, authorities say.

And such crimes spike the month of major jewelry showcases.

That's why a Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit group -- which helps detectives from different agencies connect and share information -- is conducting an eight-hour workshop Tuesday to help police better understand the nature of the threat.

''The violent crews are here,'' said Robert Taylor, founder of the South American Theft Group Intelligence Network (SATGIN).

Taylor's organization is running Tuesday's workshop, which is expected to bring in about 120 law enforcement agents from around the country. It is closed to the public.

The meeting will come just two days before one of Miami Beach's three major jewelry events, which bring in billions of dollars worth of gems, precious metals and cash, according to the FBI.

While organized, these theft groups are unlike the traditional mob in that there is no overarching control. Although centered in Miami, New York, Houston and Los Angeles, the groups originate in South American countries, including Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.

In April, when a major jewelry show was in town, a task force arrested four people in Miami Beach who police said were carrying more than $1 million in assorted gems stolen from a traveling trader in Miramar.

On Thursday, a New York jeweler traveling in Fort Lauderdale on business was robbed of about $200,000 worth of merchandise, according to police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sousa.

The 66-year-old man, whose name was not released, was walking out of the Bahia Mar Beach Resort parking lot at 801 Seabreeze Blvd. about 5 p.m. when he was approached by two men. The men grabbed a suitcase full of jewels.

SATGIN has established a hot line for those with information about jewelry heists: 1-877-728-4847.

Miami Herald staff writer Robert Samuels contributed to this report.

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