of secure truck parking in the Emea region was also a significant factor in the 346 crimes targeting trucks in unclassified parking locations.”According to Neumann, the current crime figures on the table are believed to be only a fraction of the losses being suffered by manufacturers, shippers and logistics service providers in Emea. Looking at 2020, he said the total loss recorded was based only on 65.1% of reports to Tapa Emea’s IIS.Tapa maintains that most cargo thefts during road, ocean, airfreight and rail transportation are still not reported by victims to its incident database. “For organised crime groups and other smaller groups of offenders targeting supply chains, cargo crime is its own ‘industry’ offering very rich rewards. Although, Tapa Emea members are among those companies best protected from these threats, the risks remain 24/7/365, even during a pandemic.” Neumann said plenty of factors continued to fuel criminal activities across the supply chain. Products primarily being targeted include tobacco, food and drink, clothing and footwear, tools and building materials as well as computers, laptops and pharmaceuticals.Whilst many companies have introduced resilient supply chains, the risk of cargo theft, and all of the business and reputational damage this causes, is never far away.“Even though we know the big picture of cargo crime is far greater than the level of intelligence we receive, in the last two years alone, Tapa Emea has recorded over 15 000 losses from supply chains in our region, with a combined loss value of more than €310 million – which is the equivalent of €424 000 of goods being stolen from supply chains on every single day of 2019 and 2020,” said Marcel Saarloos, chair of Tapa Emea.
