Cargo Theft in EU Rising

Nickel, copper and scrap metal are the latest targets, though goods like alcohol, computers, name-brand clothing, cigarettes and prescription drugs still make up the largest part of the stolen property, reported Europol in its recent Cargo Theft Report. Legitimate business has flourished under the EU’s free movements of goods, and criminals want a piece of that pie, according to the report. “The same business opportunities have been seized by organised crime groups, who see the ever increasing value of goods moved around the European Union as ‘easy pickings’ and both an income source in its own right or as a funding source for other criminal activity such as drug dealing,” the report stated.  “The transnational nature of today’s European supply chain makes this truly a trans-national crime, often with criminals from one country committing crime in another, offloading those goods in a third and reselling them in yet another country,” said the report. No Word on Which Crime Groups The report’s authors did not elaborate on which crime groups were to blame. But they did note that 77 percent of cargo thefts in France were thefts from vehicles parked at rest areas, and stated that Romanians were usually behind such thefts in France.  Romania leads in the number of attacks on cargo, with just over 5 attacks per million tons of goods transported from 2000 to 2005, followed by Hungary (1.31) and Poland (1.21). Romania is also considered a “severe” risk for cargo theft, as are Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK.  Methods used by thieves who target cargo include creating fake transport companies that apply for transport tenders and, after they are hired, they steal the merchandise. Criminals also sometimes don police or customs uniforms and set up fake traffic stops to force truck drivers to stop, or they stage an accident to stop traffic. Others occasionally jump from their vehicle to the loaded truck and remove goods from the moving vehicle.  The report recommended that EU countries share information and intelligence on cargo theft.  “A close cooperation and joint efforts are necessary otherwise we will not be able to match criminals who are both innovative and cruel in their actions and behavior,” said Europol director Rob Wainwright in a statement. “Road related cargo crime threatens the principle of free movement of goods across Europe and we will do our best to help contain this threat.” -- Beth Kampschror