During the summer of 2024, criminal organizations intensified their activities in the transportation and logistics sectors. According to the TAPA EMEA Intelligence System, July saw the highest number of cargo thefts in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region for 2024. TAPA recorded 1,736 incidents, representing a 17.7% increase compared to the previous peak in February 2024. This number is expected to rise further as additional crimes are added to the TAPA EMEA database. The thefts occurred in 31 countries within the EMEA region, with reported financial losses exceeding 16 million euros in July alone.
The average loss per incident was 186,423 euros for each of the 86 events where the economic damage could be quantified. This criminal activity during the summer holiday period is unsurprising: organized crime groups are known to ramp up their activities during times of the year when supply chain security may be weaker, such as holiday weeks, public holidays, and the Christmas period.
An analysis of TIS data in mid-August seems to confirm this theory. Between June 1 and August 13, there were 2,929 thefts recorded, with the total value of stolen goods reaching nearly 43 million euros. The percentage of incidents that reported an economic loss was 8.4%, with an average daily loss of 579,718 euros.
In July, TAPA EMEA received reports of 27 significant crimes, representing over 15 million euros in losses, with an average of 558,517 euros per event. Among the most notable incidents were three million euros in the largest theft recorded in July, involving a cash-in-transit vehicle in Puglia on July 4.
Other significant events included the theft of 700,000 euros worth of high-quality cutting tools at a production site in Rottweil, Germany, on July 6; a truck theft worth 500,000 euros on July 9 in Lombardy, Italy; and the theft of 3,150 cases of premium gin on July 18 from a commercial vehicle in Warenford, United Kingdom.
Eight other major incidents were reported in Italy, three in France and Germany, two each in Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and one high-value theft in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The most targeted items included cash, metals, tires, bicycles, clothing, cosmetics, food and beverages, jewelry, and tobacco. Additionally, five incidents with losses between 50,000 and 100,000 euros totaled 362,922 euros.
In July, almost 90% of recorded thefts were concentrated in five countries: the United Kingdom (620 incidents), Germany (359), Italy (243), France (222), and Spain (114). With the exception of Spain, all these countries recorded their highest number of incidents of the year in July. The United Kingdom saw a 58% increase compared to the previous peak in February, while thefts in Germany, Italy, and France rose by 15%, 13%, and 16%, respectively, compared to their previous peaks.
Another seven countries reported double-digit growth rates: South Africa, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Croatia, and Egypt. The most affected product categories included fuels, metals, cash, tools and construction materials, vehicles (trucks and trailers), and clothing.
Despite the decline in fuel prices in many countries, diesel continues to be a target for thieves, with 97 fuel thefts reported in July. Germany was the hardest hit, with 60 incidents, but fuel thefts were also reported in Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
