UK Trade Association Asks Government to Make Freight Crime a Specific Criminal Offence

The RHA, the UK trade association representing 8,500 road haulage, coach and van operators, has called on the newly-elected British government to make freight crime a specific criminal offence to counter a problem that cost the UK economy an estimated £420 million (€495m) in 2023.

The request is one of a series of ‘recommendations to Government’ contained in the RHA’s blueprint document ‘Mission driver: a blueprint for delivery.’

RHA, whose members operate around 250,000 HGVs (half of the UK fleet) out of 10,000 operating centres and range from a single-truck company to those with thousands of vehicles, says greater penalties are needed to deter criminals from preying on hauliers. ‘Freight crime is destroying businesses, impacting the health, safety and wellbeing of our drivers and it’s making it harder for firms to recruit and retain staff,’ the Association stated.

Speaking on a BBC news channel, RHA’s Ashton Cull, commented: “It’s remarkable that theft of perhaps millions of pounds worth of goods from the back of a truck is in many ways recorded the same as an opportunistic theft of a purse from a passenger of a personal vehicle. It needs to be clearer; the impact needs to be seen. Freight crime is low risk, high reward for highly organised criminals. This is happening every night in truck stops across the UK. We believe the specific offence of freight crime should be recognised, with tougher sentencing in place to reflect the wider harm caused.”

This sentiment will clearly resonate with members of TAPA EMEA, who are fully aware of the United Kingdom’s status as one of Europe’s premier ‘hotspots’ for cargo crime and, especially, the threats posed to trucks and drivers by organised crime groups and individual offenders. Sadly, in August, British media reported a driver fatality after a last mile delivery vehicle was targeted in the North West of England in a reported ‘vanjacking’. The driver was fatality injured after trying to intercept an offender as the sped off in his vehicle. A suspect has since been charged with murder and another person was in custody, as Vigilant went to press.

Data reported to the TAPA EMEA Intelligence System (TIS) in the two years to 31 July 2024 shows 6,506 criminal attacks on supply chains across the UK, and losses of €110 million for the less that 13% of these crimes sharing a value.

Major cargo thefts in the UK in this period – crimes with a reported loss value of €100K or above – produced an average product loss of €1,452,114.

The UK saw one of the biggest single cargo thefts in the last 24 months after thieves concealed themselves underneath a truck to access a cash-in-transit depot in Berkshire in the south east of the country. They escaped with €53 million in cash.

The other 67 major thefts from supply chains – incidents involving goods worth €100K or more – produced an average loss of €682,743, highlighting why warehouses and goods in transit are of such interest to crime groups. A further 58 incidents – with a combined value of more than 
€4 million – were also recorded in the €50K-€100K loss category.

Criminals are active across all UK regions, with the West Midlands as the prime ‘hotspot’ for recorded cargo thefts with 1,034 incidents in the last two years, according to TIS data. Neighbouring East Midlands was another popular hunting ground with 768 crimes over this period, as was Yorkshire & The Humber, with 549. The East of England (519 incidents reported to TAPA EMEA), South East (474), North West (393), and Greater London (157) were other high crime areas.

Major losses in the UK recorded in the TIS cargo crime database in the last two years have included:

• €1,000,000 – tools/building materials stolen from a facility in Ashford, Surrey.
• €593,309 – clothing and footwear products taken from a logistics warehouse.
• €561,732 – limited edition gaming equipment stolen from a truck.
• €500,000 – tools/building materials taken from an Origin Facility in Peterborough.
• €500,000 – jewellery/precious metals stolen from a truck in an unclassified parking location in Birmingham.
• €400,000 – pharmaceutical products stolen from a vehicle in a secured parking place in Derby. 
• €282,506 – a shipment of 42,000 skincare products from an Origin Facility in Liverpool.
• €269,000 – a consignment of electronics stolen while en route in Newcastle.
• €257,745 – 22 pallets of sports shoes from a truck at an unsecured parking location in Lockerbie, Scotland.
• €250,000 – perfume stolen from an Origin Facility in Macclesfield in the North West of England.
• €134,000 – chocolate taken from an Origin Facility in Yorkshire.

UK police forces continue to be successful in disrupting crime groups, arresting suspects and recovering stolen goods but, similar to other countries in Europe, face constant pressure to apply limited resources to responding to more serious and violent crimes.

The RHA’s call for a specific freight crime offence category will gain popular support from all supply chain stakeholders, including manufacturers and logistics service providers. Whether government is listen still remains to be seen.

REPORT A CRIME…

If you have intelligence to share with TAPA EMEA on a cargo crime in the 
United Kingdom, please send it to tisteam@tapaemea.org.

The sources of all reports, and the names of companies which are victims of cargo crime, remain anonymous.