FWI: Cargo theft remains prominent issue in Brazil amid economic crisis

Reported cargo thefts in the state of Rio de Janeiro for the second quarter surged 34 percent year-over-year to 2,151 reported incidents as the nation’s economy continues to shed jobs.    The rate of reported cargo thefts in Brazil is high and continues to increase while the nation continues to experience an economic crisis, according to the FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center (FWI SCIC).
   Brazil’s economy shed 94,724 payroll jobs in July, the Labor Ministry said Thursday, which took total job losses over the past 12 months to 1.7 million, Reuters reported.
   In addition, the nation’s economy is expected to shrink more than 3 percent for a second straight year in 2016, with over 11 million workers officially considered unemployed, according to Reuters.
   Second quarter reported cargo thefts in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which posted the highest number of incidents for the quarter, surged 10 percent and 34 percent year-over-year, respectively, according to the FWI SCIC’s Brazil Cargo Theft Report for the second quarter of 2016.
   In the state of São Paulo, 2,246 cargo thefts were reported, primarily in the capital (1,284 reported incidents), the greater São Paulo region (502 reported incidents) and the Campinas region (126 reported incidents).
   Most thefts in the state occur on urban roads rather than on highways, taking place near shipping centers or delivery points.
   Large break-ins and robberies of cash transportation companies in the state have stood out in the last few months and are typically well organized.
   On July 5, a robbery occurred in Ribeirão Preto, located in the northeastern part of the state, early in the morning, involving 20-30 people who used about 15 vehicles including armored cars and weapons, to carry out the attack.
   Meanwhile, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, 2,151 reported cargo thefts occurred in the second quarter of the year, primarily occurring in the capital (975 reported incidents), followed by the Fluminense Lowlands region (893 reported incidents), and Niteroi & Lake region (215 reported incidents).
   “An important logistics center for the transportation sector is located in Pavuna (a neighborhood in the northern zone of the capital),” FWI said. “However, companies are leaving the region due to high crime rates. In the last year, 10 percent of the 45 companies located in the neighborhood left.”
   In the state of Rio de Janeiro, meat is one of the most frequently stolen product types. However, for the entire nation in general, the most commonly stolen products are food and drinks, cigarettes, alcohol and electronics.