FWI: Belgium leads EMEA region in cargo theft

Incidents in Belgium accounted for 161 of the 501 total cargo thefts reported in the region during the second quarter, according to the FreightWatch International Q2 2015 Intelligence Update Report for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.    FreightWatch International Supply Chain Intelligence Center (FWI SCIC) recorded a total of 501 cargo thefts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) during the second quarter of 2015.
   According to the FWI SCIC Q2 2015 EMEA Intelligence Update Report, the 10 countries with the highest number of recorded incidents from April to June were Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, South Africa, Spain and Russia. With 161 reported incidents, Belgium had by far the most cargo thefts, as Germany was the only other country with more than 100 incidents during the quarter.
   The global logistics security provider noted, however, that the 161 incidents in Belgium actually took place in the first quarter, but were included in the findings because they were not reported until the second quarter.
   The most common incidents during Q2 2015 involved “Pilferage,” theft from a truck/trailer, with 303 reported incidents, or 60 percent of all recorded thefts. “The majority of these thefts happened at unsecured truck stops or motorway service stations by cutting the canvas or breaking the backdoor lock of the trailer, mostly during the night when the drivers were sleeping in their cabins,” said FreightWatch.
   FreightWatch also reported an “astounding” 57 full truckload thefts in Q2 2015, more than double the 25 incidents recorded in the EMEA region last quarter.
   Electronics were the most stolen product type in the second quarter of 2015, accounting for 66 of the 501 total thefts in the EMEA region. Products that were primarily targeted in this category included computers, laptops, TV sets, smartphones and electronic household appliances, which accounted for 31 incidents, 49 percent of the total.
   Clothing and shoes were the second most targeted category for cargo thefts in Q2 2015 with 54 recorded incidents, followed by food and drinks with 53, building and industrial with 50, personal care with 32, and automobiles and parts with 31 incidents reported.