Group takes aim at South African theft

   The Transported Asset Protection Association has turned its focus to South Africa, hosting a regional conference in Johannesburg and penciling in another training session and conference in 2014.
   TAPA is also pushing to develop a chapter of the organization in the country.
   The group is concerned about the large amount of cargo lost in the region during the past decade. According to TAPA, 9,531 truck hijackings were reported in South Africa between 2004 and 2012. During that time period, the amount of non-residential robberies surpassed 87,000.
   “We have been aware of the issues facing manufacturers and their supply chain partners in South Africa for some time and have previously tried to establish TAPA in this market,” the group’s Thorsten Neumann said in a statement. “Now we see a groundswell of support for the supply chain security standards, crime intelligence and training we offer to our members and we are confident we can make a positive difference here. The issue the country has to face up to is how to deal with the high levels of supply chain crime.” – Jon Ross