European cargo theft rose in 2013

   Cargo theft in Europe, the Middle East and Africa rose by 66 percent in 2013, year over year, resulting in 1,145 thefts targeting high-value goods, according to the Transported Asset Protection Association.
   Value losses per crime averaged 235,000 euro ($326,819) in 2013, a sharp rise from the average loss of 58,000 euro in 2008. The association noted that 10 thefts were responsible for a combined loss of more than 55 million euro.
   “We are actively trying to encourage other law enforcement agencies to work with us toward achieving our shared goals, and we are also joining forces with other organizations to continually raise the issue of cargo crime at government and regulatory levels. We are making good progress in terms of providing industry-leading security standards and training that help TAPA members in their programs to effectively combat crime but the statistics show there is no room for complacency,” Thorsten Neumann, chairman of TAPA EMEA, said. “Criminals are continually proving they will go to any lengths to steal from supply chains so the need for collaboration between industry, police and other stakeholders has never been greater.”