2019's Q3 sees increased cargo theft incidents in EMEA region

2019’s Q3 sees increased cargo theft incidents in EMEA region

The Transported Asset Protection Association’s (TAPA) Incident Information Service (IIS) issued a report informing of the cargo theft issue which saw an increase in the first nine months of 2019 in supply chains in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Key features for 2019

Q3 2019: €26,455,200 of goods stolen, even though only 23.8% of the 596 cargo crimes reported to TAPA’s IIS in the EMEA region in the three months ended 30 September stated a loss value.

The Association has previously announced freight losses of more than €34.2m in its Q1/19 and Q2/19 €21m intelligence reports.

First 9 months of 2019 saw cargo losses in 22 countries in EMEA.

Q3 data shows 18 major cargo thefts with a value of €100,000 or more.

Thefts targeted all means of transportation from road, air, ocean and rail services. The cargo thefts averaged to a loss of €293,000 every single day of the year, based on crimes sharing financial data with the Association.

It should be highlighted that cargo theft is a challenge which heavily impacts supply chains and affecting not only the shipping and logistics industry, but also consumers, retailers and insurers.

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Thorsten Neumann, President & CEO of TAPA EMEA, commented

Our membership is at its highest-ever level because cargo crime is also at its highestever level. They recognise the importance of keeping their high value, theft targeted goods secure as well as the broad range of financial and reputational consequences which result from cargo crime.

# First 9 months of 2019:

€26,455,200 of goods stolen in Q3 2019. The Association has previously announced freight losses of more than €34.2m and €21m in its Q1/19 and Q2/19 intelligence reports.

# 22 counties in EMEA reported cargo losses:

France and the Netherlands recorded the highest number of crimes in the Association’s IIS database.

France -146 actual or attempted cargo thefts, 24.5%

Netherlands – 136 cargo thefts, 22.8%

United Kingdom – 70 incidents or 11.8% of the Q3 total

Russia – 66 or 11.1%

Germany – 38 or 6.4%

Spain – 37 or 6.2%

South Africa – 36 or 6%

Italy – 15 or 2.5%

Belgium – 11 or 1.9%

# Product categories targeted:

In Q3/19, there were also double-digit thefts of furniture and household appliances, tobacco, trucks and/or trailers, metal, clothing and footwear, tools and building materials, cash-in-transit, car parts, computers and laptops, and cosmetics and hygiene goods.

Concluding, Q3 data present 18 crucial cargo thefts valuing €100,000 or more. The highest value crime in the quarter involved a seven-figure loss of diamonds, earrings, necklaces and watches after thieves forced their way into a luxury goods warehouse in South Africa and overpowered the staff.

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