A NEW joint industry report has highlighted a significant increase seen in freight crime incidents in Italy, with instances of theft quadrupling in the previous two years.
The report was delivered by international freight insurer TT Club, in collaboration with the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), and business consultants BSI Screen.
Analysis from the collaboration underscores an increasing threat to the Italian supply chain, posed chiefly by organised crime and its sophisticated theft methods.
The extensive report, which draws on the combined data resources of the three organisations, spotlights the dynamic and evolving nature of freight crime in the Mediterranean country, and the steps necessary to combat the threat.
The groups say there has been a more than 400% increase in the frequency of insurance claims since 2021, with nearly a third of claims arising from theft from vehicles parked insecurely or at the roadside. There has also been a notable increase in theft from rail.
The report discussed increasingly sophisticated methods employed by criminals to access cargo, specifically the emerging use of drones as a reconnaissance tool.
Josh Finch, logistics risk manager at TT Club explained, “Many modern drones may operate for 30+ minutes, more than enough time to stake out a site, noting its vulnerabilities, the location of security cameras and guard stations”.
“They are quiet, have excellent visibility and are often difficult to spot; we have even seen cases of drones entering warehouse facilities unobserved through open bay doors,” Mr Finch said.
“In this way, thieves are increasingly able to build a profile of the goods that are stored and exactly where to find them.”
Whilst Italy is not the only country seeing a rise in strategically planned cargo theft, it is particularly attractive to thieves due to its well-known market of luxury and designer goods, with clothing, apparel and pharmaceuticals noted by the report as the most targeted commodities.
“We are seeing the same trends across the board, with major highways and industrial hubs becoming key targets for criminals,” Mr Finch said.
“The statistics clearly highlight the key issue: cargo at rest, unsecurely parked, parked on the roadside, around these main intersections, is most at risk.”
Panayiotis Laimos, standards and training support at TAPA said, “We must focus on a ‘goods at rest are goods at risk’ strategy and combine people and technology on the best way”.
The report contains guidance on preventative measures against theft, ranging from drone-disabling technology, radio frequency jammers, secure parking technology, and the crucial importance of due diligence.
“With the help of our partners, utilising a wide range of in-depth data resources, TT is committed to lifting the lid on international cargo crime to ensure the industry is better equipped to mitigate both large-scale and attritional cargo theft losses,” Mr Finch concluded.
