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Policy & Compliance


www.bifa.org


UK cargo crime


A recent report on Cargo Theft highlighted major areas of concern, along with targeted commodities and the theft tactics utilised throughout the UK


Cargo crime prevention in the UK is a critical issue, particularly because of the large amount of trade with neighbouring European countries, resulting in a significant volume of goods moving by road transport. It is estimated that during 2017, companies in


the UK lost at least £54 million from cargo theft and the amount could be a lot higher due to limitations in the current reporting of cargo- related crime. During the first quarter of 2018, 454 theft incidents related to cargo vehicles were recorded, and approximately 80% of those involved thefts of cargo. The highest value lost during a single cargo theft was approximately £517,000, and the average was approximately £373,000 per incident. The top counties for cargo theft incidents


during the first quarter of 2018 were Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire and Kent. Noticeably, the first four of these counties are positioned along the M1 motorway, which serves as a major transit route for cargo and was identified as the top motorway route for cargo theft during 2017. The M1 also remained the top


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motorway route for cargo crime in the first quarter of 2018, with thefts representing 21% of all motorway cargo thefts in the UK. The large volume of cargo transiting this


motorway provides criminals with ample opportunity for targeting cargo trucks; thieves have been known to repeatedly target the same rest areas to steal goods along this route. Other high-risk routes include the A421 and M62, which saw the second and third highest number of theft incidents during this time, while the A1, A43 and M2 all recorded a substantial number of incidents.


Common techniques The most common technique used by thieves is the slash-and-grab method where the trucks’ curtain-side trailers are cut open, allowing criminals to identify valuable goods before they steal the cargo. High-value consumer goods and food and beverage consignments are often targeted. Other theft incidents during the first quarter of 2018 included fictitious pick-ups, hijackings, in-transit truck thefts and thefts of entire cargo vehicles, complete with their loads.


Consistent with 2017 trends, most cargo theft


incidents during the first quarter of 2018 occurred at motorway rest areas, followed by unsecure off-road locations such as lay-bys. As in previous quarters, most incidents occurred during the middle of the week, particularly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thefts on these days accounted for nearly


45% of all incidents during the quarter. The weekend driving restrictions, which limit travel hours for commercial driving, mean there are fewer recorded theft incidents on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.


Value versus risk It is recognised that it can be challenging for shippers to utilise more secure shipping methods for cargo transport. However, it is important to compare the value of the goods to the risk of cargo theft, as it could be cost effective for some companies to utilise hard-sided trailers for high- value shipments despite the increased cost and likely difficulty in identifying a suitable provider. The utilisation of secure parking facilities is


also an important step towards preventing cargo from being stolen. Transport companies should ideally look for locations for overnight rest that include perimeter fencing, CCTV surveillance, sufficient lighting, entrance/exit security checkpoint and separation of cargo and passenger vehicles at parking lots.


BIFA would like to thank NaVCIS and the BSI for providing the information on which this article is based.


August 2018


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