Cargo Crimes have risen in Europe, Middle East and Africa
The Latest TAPA Report
According to the Transported Asset Protection Association’s (TAPA) Incident Information Service (IIS) database, cargo crimes in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region have grown in frequency.
The IIS reveals that there were 598 new freight-related cargo crimes recorded in the second half of this year, which is a massive 92.9% increase on the same quarter in 2015. The combined loss value for products stolen in the three months ending on 30th June was €19.3m ($21.4m), which is a rise of €5.3m ($5.9m) figure for the same period of 2015.
Increase in Loss
Based on the crimes reported to IIS, the total losses over the first six months of this year across the EMEA region were of €27.3m ($30.3). TAPA recorded cargo losses in Africa and 18 other countries in the EMEA region which also included 21 major thefts involving a loss value of €100,000 ($111,000) or more.
UK – The Main Target
UK saw the highest number of high-value losses; 8 out of 21 and TAPA’s information on product theft shows that 91.4% of all reported crimes in the second quarter happened in just six countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Italy.
Overall, 47.5% or 284 of the recorded crimes in the quarter took place in the UK, mostly in the east of England and the East Midlands. TAPA has a well-respected security system for both freight facilities and trucking and is now looking at a new standard to increase the quality and number of secure parking locations, particularly throughout EU.
Highest Type of Theft
Theft from Vehicle was the most recorded type of incident with 315, or 52.7% of cases. The data also shows that 527 of the 598 new cargo crimes were thefts or attempted thefts involving trucks.
The data shows that most losses happen when trucks are stopped at unsecured parking locations, often when drivers take the mandatory rest breaks. In the first quarter, TAPA EMEA recorded 251 incidents at unsecured parking locations which mean 42% of all crimes in this reporting period.
Category with Most Theft
The type of good most frequently stolen during 2015 and the first three months of 2016 were food & drink products. Once again food & drink products were the IIS product category with the highest number of losses in the April-June period with 76 cases or 12.7%, of the second-quarter loss.
What did the TAPA Chairman say?
Thorsten Neumann, chairman of TAPA EMEA, observed: “These figures should be a great cause for concern for all manufacturers and logistics service providers because they clearly show the escalation of cargo crime.
“People wrongly assume that our crime data relates entirely to incidents suffered by TAPA EMEA members. In fact, very few of these losses were suffered by our members because of the risk management strategies they have put in place, including adoption of the TAPA Security Standards.
“The greatest risk is to the industry-at-large and, in particular, companies that have yet to fully recognise the issue of cargo crime,” Neumann declared.
“However, we also want to stress the importance of companies reporting cargo crimes to the police in the first place because this is another big challenge, particularly with cross-border shipments. “It is important that all stakeholders work together and support each other,” he concluded.
