FWI: Cargo theft on the rise in EMEA region

A total of 339 cargo thefts were reported in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region during the second quarter of 2016, 129 of which occurred in the United Kingdom.    Reported cargo thefts in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region increased about 18 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2016 to 339 reported incidents, according to the FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center (FWI SCIC).
   The FWI SCIC’s Q2 EMEA Cargo Crime Intelligence Update revealed the top five countries in the region with the largest number of reported cargo thefts for the quarter were the United Kingdom with 129 reported incidents, followed by Germany (67), Italy (39), Sweden (20) and The Netherlands (17).
   During the quarter, the most commonly stolen product type was auto and parts with 61 reported incidents. Coming in second was miscellaneous items with 58 reported incidents. Electronics, food and drinks, and building and industrial products all came in third with 28 reported incidents.
   The most common form of theft was pilferage (theft from a truck/trailer) with 220 reported incidents. The majority of these thefts occurred at unsecured truck stops or motorway service stations via curtain-slashing or breaking in, mostly at night when drivers were asleep in their cabins. The United Kingdom was the most targeted country for “curtain cutters,” followed by Germany and Sweden.
   Meanwhile, theft from facilities was the second most common form of theft, accounting for 55 of the reported incidents during the quarter, mainly from the United Kingdom, followed by Italy and Germany.
   Hijacking was the third most common form of theft with 17 reported incidents. South Africa was the most common target for this form of theft, followed by Italy and Russia.