€834,000 of products reported stolen every day in April 2023
Recorded freights thefts from supply chains in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region surpassed €25 million in product losses in just 30 days in April, according to the latest market intelligence from the TAPA EMEA Intelligence System (TIS) – a loss total based only on the 42.9% of incidents reporting a financial value in the past month.
TIS received reports of cargo losses from supply chains in 27 countries across the region.
The 244 reported freight thefts with a value took the daily average loss to €834,367 for every day in April. The number of losses providing financial data rose 54.9% month-over-month, and this included a 50% increase in the number of major crimes involving product or vehicle losses of €100,000 or more compared to March. This is the second consecutive month in which these high value crimes have increased by 50% or more.
Major losses in March accounted for €21,280,826 of the total monthly loss figure, producing an average value for these crimes of €591,344.
Vigilant is unable to report all of the losses of >€100K but thefts included such high value incidents as the €1,600,000 theft of electrical goods in Salzburgen in the German state of Lower Saxony on 18 April after criminals targeted a truck parked on the A31 highway.
Overall, TIS has so far recorded 569 new cargo thefts for the month of April, and this figure is expected to increase as more reports are submitted after the Vigilant publication deadline.
Alongside the 36 highest value major crimes, a further 20 incidents reported losses from supply chains of between €50K-€100K and these accounted for €1,455,161 of the April loss total or an average of €72,758., up 50% versus March.
TAPA EMEA captured intelligence on cargo thefts in 20 TIS product categories last month although, as in now usually the case, in most crimes – 65.2% last month – the types of goods stolen were not specified to the Association. Even with diesel prices lowering, fuel thefts remained the highest TIS product category for recorded losses for the fourth consecutive month. 74 incidents were reported in 9 countries: Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, despite continuing to be the biggest loss category in terms of incidents, the overall number of reported fuel thefts in April was down 18.7% on March, possibly due to lower market prices.
The top five countries for recorded cargo thefts recorded by TIS in April to date were:
Germany – 179 incidents
Germany has recorded the highest number of cargo loss incidents in the TIS database in 2023 to date. In total, the latest 179 thefts reported in April accounted for 31.5% of all losses reported to the Association in EMEA during the month, slightly down on the 195 crimes in March. The number of crimes with a value rose 55.1% on the previous month, 76 in total with a combined value was €10,367,246 or an average of €136,411.
15 of the total 36 major losses in EMEA in April took place in Germany. As well as the previously highlighted theft in Lower Saxony, other high value cargo thefts included:
€200,000
Thieves caused €200,000 of damage when they targeted an Origin Facility in Mainburg, Bavaria, on 3 April, although it is unclear if any products were stolen during the incident.
€125,000
In the city of Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, on 23 April, offenders gained access to another Origin Facility and stole a consignment of copper cables.
€100,000
Trucks left in unclassified parking locations remained a frequent target of cargo thieves. In this incident on 26 April in Mansfeld-Sudharz, Saxony-Anhalt, a gang slashed a hole in the tarpaulin of a trailer and stole about 40 e-bikes.
For the third consecutive month, Germany experienced the highest number of Fuel Thefts in EMEA, with 36 incidents accounting for 48.7% of these recorded crimes across the region. Fuel thieves were active in 12 German states.
Five incidents with loss values of €50K-€100K were also reported in Germany in April, including the theft of a vehicle worth €50,000 from an Origin Facility in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, on 1 April.
United Kingdom – 103 incidents
The United Kingdom saw a 21.1% rise month-over-month in recorded incidents in April, with 103 new incidents added to the TIS database. during the month. The 35 incidents with a reported value involved a total loss of €7,092,822 or an average of €202,652, 28.3% of all crimes with a value reported to TAPA EMEA during April.
The UK recorded 4 major losses with a value of more than €100K in April, and TAPA EMEA can report on two of these crimes:
€720,000
In Bedford, East of England, on 21 April, over €720,000 worth of unspecified goods were reportedly stolen from a facility by a member, one of the highest value thefts with an M.O. of Internal in 2023 to date, although no further intelligence was reported to TIS.
€114,000
On 3 April, in King’s Lynn, also in the East of England region, cargo thieves gained access to an unspecified facility and stole high value agricultural equipment.
The UK saw only one incident with a value of €50K-€100K, totalling €84,877, but TAPA EMEA is not authorised to share this information in Vigilant.
France -89 incidents
After previous monthly falls in incident rates, the 89 cargo crime incidents in France in April represented a 34.8% increase on the previous month. While no major crimes with a value of more than €100K were reported to TIS in March, France saw four high value freight thefts in April with a combined total value of €561,148, averaging €140,287. TAPA EMEA has been asked not to share any information on these incidents outside of the password-protected TIS database.
The five thefts from supply chains of goods worth €50K-€100K produced a total of €389,578 or an average of €77,915, although, again, Vigilant is unable to share further information.
In April, France accounted for 13.5% of all fuel thefts reported in EMEA. TIS collated information on 10 such incidents in 6 different regions. Of the 13 regions of France reporting cargo thefts in April, Hauts-de-France recorded the highest incident rate with 50 incidents or 56.2% of the country’s total. This is the third consecutive month this region has seen the highest number of reported crimes.
Italy – 74 incidents
Italy’s cargo crime statistics rose 21.3% in April vs. March’s to 74 reported incidents.
Of these incidents, 40 recorded a value and contributed to a combined loss of €1,804,024 or an average of €46,257 for the month. Seven major losses have so far been identified by TIS with a collective value of €1,091,566.
Crimes included the theft of a JCB tractor unit reportedly worth €120,000 from an Authorised 3rd Party Facility in the city of Mairano, Lombardy, on 14 April, as well as a theft of miscellaneous household appliances worth €100,000 from another Authorised 3rd Party Facility in Castel San Giovanni, Lombardy, on the 15 April.
The four crimes with losses of €50K-€100K saw an average of €70,560 or a combined total of €282,243, and included a theft of tools/building materials worth €50,000 from an Authorised 3rd Party Facility in Mirandola, Emilia-Romagna, on 16 April.
Spain –50 incidents
Whilst retaining its place in the top 5 countries for monthly cargo losses, Spain saw a slight decrease in reported crimes from 52 incidents in March to 50 in April. The 20 crimes with a recorded value reported a total loss of €645,553, 81.7% down in value on the previous month.
Two major losses were recorded in Spain with a combined total value of €212,486. While Vigilant is unable to report further information, as always TAPA EMEA members can login to the TIS database to search for more intelligence on these crimes. All four incidents with loss values of €50K-€100K were reported in Catalonia, worth a combined €301,193.
Rest of EMEA – 74 incidents
22 other countries recorded a further 74 incidents in EMEA in April and this included four high value crimes with values over €100K. All four were recorded in South Africa. More information can be found in the TIS database.
Rise in attacks at unclassified parking places
April saw a 107% rise in cargo thefts involving vehicles in unclassified parking locations. 85 incidents in these locations were reported to TIS in 10 countries.
If you have cargo crime intelligence to share with TAPA EMEA, please send it to tisteam@tapaemea.org
