Cargo crime is on the rise and the numbers only tell part of the story. According to Dr Nick Chapman, head of cargo and logistics Asia at Aon, the industry is seeing an increase in cargo incidents and thefts, yet the majority remain underreported, masking the true scale of the threat. New data from the Transported Asset Protection Association Tapa EMEA shows the scale of cargo crime continues to escalate. In the latest 18-month reporting period, more than 319 000 incidents were recorded across 122 countries, with losses exceeding 2.6 billion. Major incidents averaged 2.45 million each, while an estimated 5.2m worth of goods are stolen every day across supply chains in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The figures reveal only the tip of the iceberg and a growing challenge for freight operators and traders. Speaking during a recent online event, Chapman stressed that the importance of accurate and consistent reporting could not be overstated. The consequences of underreporting are significant, he said. It misrepresents the threat landscape for your operation. Weve seen an increase in the number of cargo incidents and cargo crimes over the past five years. There has been an overall upward trend yet we know that the majority of incidents still go unreported. In truth, were only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The impact of this underreporting is far-reaching. When cargo theft crimes are not reported, valuable intelligence about specific incidents is lost to the industry. This not only weakens the ability of operators to adapt to evolving criminal tactics but also reduces opportunities to share critical data about entities involved, information that could otherwise feed into shared databases and bad actor watchlists. It creates a negative feedback loop, Chapman said. If cargo theft is significantly underreported, organisations find it harder to justify the cost and resources required to address the issue proportionally. He said underreporting created blind spots and weaknesses within risk management strategies and overall supply chain security. It undermines effective risk assessment and planning, limits the ability to identify patterns and modus operandi, while it also enables repeat offenders due to a lack of deterrence. When incidents are not reported, criminal activity often goes unchecked and unchallenged what isnt reported, isnt stopped. According to Chapman, a key element in mitigating theft lies in having up-to-date intelligence on theft trends, from targeted commodities and transport modes to high-risk regions, consolidation facilities and known modus operandi. Comprehensive reporting strengthens the foundation of any mature, data-driven risk- management strategy, allowing companies to make informed decisions about which risks to avoid, transfer, tolerate or mitigate, he said. Data sits at the centre of every decision we make about supply chains. Cargo crime is no different. LV
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It appears from the most recent CMU that decisive intervention helped to resolve resource challenges.
