March 12, 2009

The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) says the global recession will lead to an increase in cargo crime.

As a whole, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa reported 3,756 incidents last year with a total loss of more than $213 million.

The association says more than 10 percent were ‘major incidents’ with 72 percent from the United Kingdom alone. Spain and Germany were the second- and third-highest countries for cargo crime.

An executive with the TAPA noted: “We know from previous recessions that crime increases. UK government statistics, for example, reported a 19 percent increase in violent crime during the recession of the early 1990s. We expect 2009 to be one of the toughest years of the last decade in terms of cargo crime statistics.”

With a 50 percent increase in reported thefts last year, TAPA says consumer electronics, food, metal, clothing, and footwear were among the most frequently stolen products.