New Romania Working Group Identifies Five Strategic Focus Areas

As TAPA EMEA launches a deeper focus on Eastern Europe, supply chain security stakeholders in Romania have taken a lead by getting around the table to the first TAPA EMEA Romania Working Group.

The catalyst for the group was a roundtable discussion organised by the Romanian transport publication Ziua Cargo, which brought together around 20 industry professionals who shared the same cargo security challenges. This first exchange lasted over three hours and focused solely on real-world cases: identity theft, fake carriers, hijacked deliveries by false clients, forged documents, and trailer theft from unsecured parking lots – all concrete, documented cases, many of which remain unresolved according to police reports across different countries.

Statistically, Romania is a good place to start, too. Over the last two years, it ranks in the top 5 countries for recorded cargo thefts in Eastern Europe, based on incidents reported to the TAPA EMEA Intelligence System (TIS). The numbers? 285 incidents in 24 months. 

The crimes taking their place in the Association’s intelligence database included 110 (38.5%) with a value, worth a combined €8,807,385. 29 of these cargo thefts were classed as major losses (goods with a value of €100K+), which averaged losses of €256,396. And all the usual targets for cargo criminals made the list, from Agricultural Materials, Auto Parts, Clothing, Cosmetics, and Computers to Food & Drink, Furniture/Household Appliances, Metal, Tools, Tobacco, and Tyres.         

The Romania Working Group started with a focus on local industry players – carriers, freight forwarders, clients, insurers, and others – all of which have been significantly impacted by criminal attacks on their supply chains. “During our first meeting, however, it became clear that although the effects are local, the causes and the incident profiles span across a wide geography. Many of the incidents discussed were reported in multiple European countries. Therefore, we are dealing with a systemic issue, not a local anomaly,” says Ionel Popa, TAPA EMEA’s Regional Lead for Eastern Europe.  

Romania’s reputation for cargo theft has been spearheaded by the so-called ‘Romanian M.O.’ for thefts from moving trucks. This is not because of the volume or value of incidents and losses, but more based on the sheer audacity of such crimes when they have occurred, the risks involved in boarding a truck moving at 60-80kms an hour, and the low sums of money paid to the ‘gymnasts’ who perpetrate these crimes on behalf of organised crime groups. 

It’s a reputation that is way out of sync with reality – an unwanted and unfair distraction from the real job at hand. In Romania and its neighbouring countries, the risks and solutions are closely aligned with what TAPA EMEA sees across the whole of its region. 

If anything, Ionel Popa says, organised crime is easier to respond to. “With organised crime, root causes can be targeted and disrupted. But with opportunists, we need a different approach: pragmatic, risk-based management that raises the bar high enough to make crime less rewarding and more difficult to execute.          

“The challenges posed by organised crime groups in Romania are not very different from those across the rest of Europe. We must see this as one integrated, interdependent market – albeit with specific vulnerabilities. When there’s demand for a certain product on the black market, it will be targeted regardless of geography. Once a product is selected, language, borders, and national systems become irrelevant. For example, a product might be manufactured in Romania, transported by a Hungarian company, and stolen in France. OCGs identify weaknesses along the entire end-to-end chain – manufacturer, forwarder, carrier, route, parking, customer, etc. Very often, there’s also some form of insider involvement.” Stolen goods end up on the Romanian black market or wherever crime groups see the best opportunities in terms of higher prices, stronger demand, lower risk of detection, and simpler logistics.

During the first Working Group meeting, five strategic focus areas were identified:

1. Creating a security assessment and improvement framework

To provide a constructive platform under the TAPA EMEA Romania umbrella where all players (whether TAPA EMEA members or not) can address security concerns and work towards reducing logistics losses.

2. Fostering collaboration for experience sharing and root cause analysis

Using knowledge sharing to tackle common issues (companies, MO’s, risks) – often the ‘low-hanging fruits’ in crime prevention but which can produce a high security impact.

3. Reducing risks through common practices

Romania’s transport sector is highly fragmented with over 41,000 registered transport companies (sometimes more than the population of a town). Many of them cannot yet adopt TAPA’s Standards, which is why the Group aims to begin by developing a simple best practices guide, covering clients, forwarders, and carriers. 

4. Building stronger communication channels with authorities

Fragmentation has also led to poor reporting and follow-up with law enforcement. Many cases go unresolved, and victims are left without updates. The Group aims to consolidate its voice in LEA relationships.

5. Contributing local solutions to global standards

Many of the companies which are part of the Romania Working Group are already active contributors to TAPA EMEA. The Group plans to contribute local experience to strengthen and update the Association’s global Standards through practical insights.

The Working Group is off to a flying start with 35 members, including representation from all key supply chain sectors: manufacturers, freight forwarders, carriers, insurers, legal experts, and more. The Group remains open to anyone who shares its direction and values.

It’s all part of creating a shared, industry response to cargo crime, which, in turn, builds supply chain resilience. 

  
“The message we want to communicate to supply chain and security professionals in Romania and, ultimately, across Eastern Europe, who are working to reduce cargo thefts, is that they are not alone in this fight. The first step is unity. Everything else will follow from our collective effort.“As the regional challenges grow in complexity, so too must our collaboration. The Romania Working Group under the auspices of TAPA EMEA is not just about fixing local problems, it’s about building a resilient, well-informed, and proactive network that understands the realities on the ground and shares solutions that work. Together, we can shift the narrative and raise the standard for cargo security across the region,” Ionel Popa stated.