Cargo Theft on the Road

Freight and cargo thefts in road transportation have raised on a serious level within the recent years: according to a recent evaluation by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), the load of around 26,000 trucks is looted by organized criminals per year in Germany alone. The resulting product damage is estimated at about 1.3 billion euros.

 

The modus operandi of the perpetrators is as different as the affected cargo: the spectrum ranges from thefts from trucks or storage sites to robberies and trick thefts by using false identities as well as fuel theft directly from the vehicle or by the misuse of fuel cards.

 

Since a while now, the transport logistics associations have been calling for more support from the authorities by increased investigation pressure on international and professional criminal organizations, as well as more presence on highway truck stop areas.

 

At this year's conference of the transport ministers of the German federal states, the issue was noted with little concrete results. The identification of possible counter-measures and their implementation are therefore likely to take place earliest in 2019 after the coordination with the conferences of interior and justice ministers.

 

Further information on this topic can be obtained from the link below:

 

German Summary of Measures against Cargo Theft

 

Article about Cargo Theft in Germany at Lloyds