THE European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) regions recorded 1,102 incidents of cargo crime in 2014 with losses coming to EUR74.8 million (US$80 million), according to the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA).
There was an average of three major cargo crimes a day targeting high value products in the supply chain in Europe last year with an average loss of EUR205,624, according to TAPA's 2014 Incident Information Service (IIS) Annual Report.
TAPA said in a statement that the use of violence by organised criminal gangs continued to grow last year with a 4.5 per cent year-on-year increase, driven largely by 102 violent hijackings of trucks, notably in France, Italy and South Africa.
Overall, there were 15 thefts from facilities and vehicles during the year with losses exceeding EUR1 million as criminal gangs targeted everything from scratchcards, cosmetics, consumer electronics, and clothing and footwear to tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, car parts and tyres and cash.
Germany recorded the highest number of freight crimes in 2014, with a 42.5 per cent growth over 2013's figures to 285 cargo thefts. The United Kingdom saw the highest percentage growth among the top countries suffering incidents, climbing 98.8 per cent on the previous year to 175 crimes.
Thefts from vehicles continued to account for the biggest proportion of freight thefts with over 500 crimes. Food and beverage products were the most targeted cargoes across the region as a whole, closely followed by consumer electronics.
TAPA analysis shows that 92.8 per cent of the total number of cargo crimes committed in the region took place in just 10 countries: Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Austria, Sweden and South Africa.
"We know that organised gangs of cargo criminals are operating across our region, particularly within Europe, and we can clearly see that they are becoming more daring and sophisticated in the way they target goods moving in the supply chain," said TAPA's EMEA chief Thorsten Neumann.
"These are not always products with a high individual unit cost. They might just as easily be a high volume of lower cost goods that can easily be traded on the black market."
WORLD SHIPPING
24 April 2015 - 09:04
1,102 European, Mideast, African cargo crimes cost sector US$80 million
THE European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) regions recorded 1,102 incidents of cargo crime in 2014 with losses coming to EUR74.8 million (US$80 million), according to the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA).
WORLD SHIPPING
24 April 2015 - 09:04
1,102 European, Mideast, African cargo crimes cost sector US$80 million
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