The Transported Asset Protection Association for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (TAPA EMEA), recently revealed that, in the first quarter of 2015, the highest rate of cargo theft incidents were in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
More than 67 percent of 206 freight thefts or attempted thefts in the first three months of 2015 were in the two countries. The 206 cargo thefts included 18 incidents with a loss in excess of €100,000. While only 30.5 percent of reported cargo thefts in the first quarter of 2015 gave a loss value, that value still exceeded €13.25 million, which reflects an average loss for the quarter of €210,365.
The U.K. reported 70 cargo crimes, a 133 percent rise over the 30 incidents in Q1 2014. In the Netherlands, the increase was 17 percent more than Q1 2014 with 69 thefts.
Thorsten Neumann, chairman of TAPA EMEA said cargo crime is massively under-reported globally. “While the U.K. and the Netherlands are certainly not the only countries under threat from organized cargo crime gangs, in Q1 TAPA EMEA gathered information on increasingly violent crimes in 14 countries.”
Spain had 10 reported cargo thefts, followed by Italy with nine, and France and South America with eight each. Germany was the big money loser, with an average loss value of more than €100,000. However, the largest single heist in the quarter was in France, where a truck carrying diamonds, other jewels and artwork worth an estimated €9 million was hijacked close to a French motorway tollbooth.
Clothing, shoes and consumer electronics made up 15.5 percent of thefts, with 16 reported incidents in the first quarter 2015, followed by tobacco, with 10 crimes, and seven incidents involving food and beverages. Five cargo crimes were for metal, and four incidents each were targeted at pharmaceuticals and beauty/hygiene products.
The thieves mostly targeted transport vehicles and parked cars. There were 10 incidents of burglary with only 3.3 percent involving theft from a cargo facility.