India accounted for 64% of Asia’s cargo theft in 2019: BSI & TT Club report

February 20, 2020: The ‘BSI and TT Club Cargo Theft Report 2020’ released on Wednesday stated that of all Asian cargo theft in 2019, 64 percent happened in India and 32 percent of them were food and beverages.

Global cargo theft in 4 points
The second annual report on worldwide cargo theft, issued by international transport and logistics insurer, TT Club and global provider of supply chain intelligence, BSI reports that

1. Cargo in transit by road remains the dominant risk (An increase to 37 percent in 2019 from 29 percent in 2018).
2. Food & beverage cargo remained the topmost commodities stolen (An increase to 28 percent in 2019 from 19 percent in 2018).
3. Eight cargo theft incidents happened every day globally in 2019
4. South America ranks highest in the median value of cargo stolen ($100,000).

Mike Yarwood of TT Club urges all those concerned about cargo security to read the report but emphasizes one identified trend in particular, “Thefts either of or from road vehicles most frequently occurred while in transit, in rest areas or an unsecured parking location. These accounted for 60% of those thefts reported. The median value of losses from these incidents ranges from $100,000 in South America to just over $11,000 in parts of Asia. We are particularly keen to draw attention to the dangers of such informal parking and encourage the provision of more secured truck stop facilities,” he said.

The report includes further advice on how theft risks can be reduced.

We're pleased to announce the release of the @BSISCS & TT Club Cargo Theft Report 2020. Upward trends in cargo theft continued through 2019 with road transit most at risk.

Download your copy now for advice on how to reduce the risk of cargo theft > https://t.co/5rQvYxMH3h pic.twitter.com/eDQ39f9GAE

— TT Club (@TT_Club) February 19, 2020

Cargo thieves of China and India
In Asia, BSI and TT Club most frequently recorded cargo thefts in India and China, a trend similar to that of 2018. Cargo thieves in these two countries are similar in profile and employ a wide range of tactics. The methods utilized by thieves in India and China range from very opportunistic means, such as pilferage and thefts by drivers or passersby, to more disorganize tactics, including in-transit truck thefts. In these types of thefts, thieves drive a vehicle behind a moving cargo truck, board the vehicle, and then throw goods to trailing accomplices.

The report says “A significant portion of incidents in both India and China involve thieves stealing goods directly from facilities, a trend demonstrative of poor access controls and one that compares similarly to 2018. Poor access control protocols often contribute to cargo theft in Asia, but particularly in India and China where terminated employees often retain facility keys that are used to conduct thefts at a later date.”

Top commodities stolen in Asia
Food and beverages remained the top commodities stolen in Asia too with 32 percent share. Unlike in 2018, in which metal ranked second for top commodities stolen, BSI and TT Club noted an increase in thefts of electronics and construction materials while metal fell to fifth overall in 2019. In both years, food and beverage ranked first as the top commodity stolen in Asia.

Corruption
Supply chain corruption is another major element of thefts in Asia, with corrupt employees removing goods they are transporting or accessing shipments stored in warehouses or logistics facilities. Thieves in these instances generally pilfer small numbers of items but occasionally manage to steal larger quantities of goods. These trends play out in the median value of thefts recorded by BSI and TT Club in the region, which tends to remain much lower than other regions where thieves often steal entire truckloads of high-value goods.

TT Club
TT Club is an independent provider of mutual insurance and related risk management services to the international transport and logistics industry. TT Club’s primary objective is to help make the industry safer and more secure. Founded in 1968, the Club has more than 1100 members, spanning container owners and operators, ports and terminals, and logistics companies, working across maritime, road, rail, and air.

About BSI
BSI is an international business improvement company that enables organizations to follow standards of best practice. Working with over 84,000 clients across 193 countries, it has skills and experience across sectors including automotive, aerospace, built environment, food, and healthcare.

BSI Supply Chain Services and Solutions is a global provider of supply chain intelligence, global supply chain verification auditing services, audit compliance and risk management software solutions, and advisory services. BSI’s supply chain services and solutions and services can work independently to address specific needs or combined together to gain unparalleled visibility into your global operations.