Cargo theft trends across Europe were consistent with prior years despite an increase in thefts overall. Food and beverage products continued to top the list of stolen commodities, making up 10 % of incidents, followed closely by electronics (9%), metals (8%) with alcohol accounting for 6% of thefts. The loss of these high-demand goods underscores the persistent vulnerabilities within Europe’s supply chains, as well as the enduring appeal to organised crime of readily sellable items.

Warehouses were the most targeted location, accounting for 41% of recorded incidents. Thefts at rest areas, car parks and unsecured roadside locations also accounted for a significant number of incidents, ranging from theft from facilities, containers, and trailers, to trailer hook-up theft and "slash-and-grab" tactics.

Countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom experienced the highest rates of theft, with parked vehicles in unsecured rest areas and warehouses being primary targets. Additionally, Europe has seen a rise in technologically sophisticated thefts, mirroring strategic trends observed in the United States, as criminals increasingly exploit technological vulnerabilities to bypass traditional security measures.

A lack of secure parking in the United Kingdom contributes to the proportion of cargo crime affecting trucks, with theft from container or trailer, from the vehicle, and theft from the facility, all common occurrences. Nearly half (40%) of all thefts takes place at unsecured roadside parking and rest areas.

Thieves slash tarpaulins or break into trailers to steal valuable goods with food and beverage (20%) the most targeted commodity, followed by alcohol (14%), electronics (11%) and pharmaceuticals (9%). The United Kingdom's Department for Transport has taken several steps to raise truck parking standards and increase safe parking capacity. In May 2024, a task force was set up with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to examine these issues and invest £16.5 million GBP in improving parking spaces, facilities and rest areas.

Cargo theft trends in the United States and Canada differ from other regions due to the prevalence of strategic theft, heightened cyber vulnerabilities, insider participation and the elevated risk associated with high-value goods like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products.

While 2024 was characterised by a rise in strategic theft, cargo theft from trains remains a significant concern, accounting for around 6% of all thefts in the United States and Canada. In Bakersfield, California, groups of thieves reportedly gather along railroad tracks near Highway 58 multiple times a week, breaking locks on containers to steal goods when trains stop. Leveraging knowledge of train schedules and exploiting shift changes, these criminals demonstrate a calculated approach to theft. The high volume of cargo handled by Southern California’s ports, coupled with slow-moving trains through Los Angeles, creates frequent opportunities for theft, further exacerbated by outdated locks and insufficient security personnel on railcars.

Canada is experiencing an increase in pilferage-type incidents, particularly in the Peel Region of the Greater Toronto Area, as organised criminal groups adopt increasingly strategic methods. Criminal groups plan and execute thefts on in-transit shipments (often targeting high-value goods such as electronics) using staged distractions, such as blocking roads with seemingly broken-down vehicles to execute the theft. These incidents often occur without the driver’s awareness, as the noise of the vehicle masks the criminals’ activities.

Recognising the growing threat of cargo theft, a member of the United States House of Representatives introduced the Safeguarding Our Supply Chains Act in June 2024. This legislation aims to address cargo theft and supply chain fraud by establishing a Supply Chain Crime Coordination Centre within the Department of Homeland Security and forming a dedicated task force led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.

In Canada, the launch of the National Supply Chain Office (NSCO) in December 2023 represents government efforts to enhance efficiency, resilience and reliability of the country’s supply chains. Despite these measures, supply chains are expected to remain a target as criminal groups continue to exploit vulnerabilities and access sensitive logistical information to facilitate their thefts.

South America faced various cargo theft risks in 2024, with Brazil at the centre. The continent’s largest country accounts for 68% of incidents, followed by Argentina (12%), Chile (10%) and Peru (3%). Cargo thefts in South America frequently involve armed robberies and hijackings but have also become more sophisticated. Criminals often operate in groups, using weapons to overpower truck operators and coerce drivers into stopping their vehicles. Truck operators are frequently kidnapped or harmed during cargo thefts, particularly in incidents of hijacking, where drivers are abandoned along roadsides or in rural areas as thieves make off with the stolen truck. Hijacking (33%) remained the top theft type, underscoring the violence that often characterises cargo theft in the region.

Companies are increasingly turning to technology to defend themselves such as deterring theft by using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to track and recover stolen goods more easily. The use of vehicle immobilisers is also becoming more common, allowing a company to disable a truck’s engine in the event of a theft. However, criminals are already fighting back with GPS jammers and hacking carrier accounts. 

In Asia, cargo theft is also evolving with sea piracy playing a growing role. India experienced the highest number of cargo thefts, accounting for 63% of cases, followed by Indonesia (14%), China (11%), Bangladesh (3%) and Vietnam (3%). Thieves primarily targeted food, beverages, and agricultural products, including rice, sugar, edible oil, corn and garlic.

While strategic theft was uncommon, some incidents involved fictitious pickups in India and Bangladesh. Insider involvement remains a significant risk in Asia compared to other regions, with over a quarter of all recorded thefts linked to employees or drivers.

Most thefts occurred at facilities (34%), a fifth (20%) from vehicles, 14% involved drivers and hijacking accounted for 10%. Almost unique to the region, Asia reported 107 piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships in 2024, a 6% increase from 2023, with a slight decline in incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS). While most cases did not result in crew injuries, the level of violence used increased in 2024 as perpetrators carried more weapons and operated in larger groups.

• Increase supply chain visibility with real-time tracking, geo-fencing, and secure communication protocols.

• Conduct rigorous partner vetting and auditing to verify legitimacy, ensuring carriers and vendors meet security standards.

• Implement access control policies to limit exposure to sensitive shipment details and reduce insider threats.

• Strengthen employee training to help staff identify red flags for fraudulent activity and report suspicious behaviour.

• Conduct comprehensive background checks for employees and contractors accessing sensitive supply chain data.

• Deploy behavioural monitoring tools to detect unusual access patterns or suspicious activity from employees and contractors.

• Establish secure whistleblower programs to encourage staff to report misconduct or security breaches without fear of retaliation.

• Adopt multi-layered cybersecurity defences, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and endpoint protection.
• Train employees to recognise cyber threats, such as AI-driven scams, phishing attacks and deepfake fraud attempts.
• Utilise strong authentication measures, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encrypted communication channels.
• Conduct regular cybersecurity audits to identify vulnerabilities and prevent data breaches that could be exploited by criminals.
• Map supply chain digital touchpoints to identify cyber vulnerabilities and secure digital access points.
• Conduct third-party cybersecurity assessments to verify the security of external vendors and partners.
• Implement data segmentation to isolate sensitive shipment information from other operational data.

• Enhance security protocols for loading and unloading, ensuring proper verification of drivers and shipment details.
• Utilise secure parking facilities to reduce the risk of theft from unattended vehicles in high-risk regions.
• Deploy tamper-evident seals and GPS tracking to monitor cargo movement and detect unauthorised access.
• Strengthen facility security measures, including CCTV surveillance, perimeter controls and access restrictions.
• Foster cross-border cooperation with law enforcement, industry groups and regulatory bodies to disrupt organised crime networks.
• Use predictive analytics to identify theft risks based on historical patterns and real-time data.
• Require biometric or secure driver identity verification for handling high-value cargo.
• Diversify transport routes and schedules to reduce predictability and exposure to targeted theft.

• Develop a robust incident response plan to minimise the impact of cyber-related, physical and fraud-related breaches and ensure rapid containment.
• Conduct crisis simulation and stress testing to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of security and response plans.
• Encourage industry collaboration by participating in intelligence-sharing initiatives and working with trade bodies to stay ahead of emerging threats.
• Diversify supply chain networks to limit reliance on single suppliers or transport routes and reduce overall exposure.