A new crime-busting force is being set up in the Netherlands to counter an epidemic of attacks on the country's supply chain infrastructure. Statistics reported by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) revealed that in the last year there were over 400 incidents involving theft of goods in transit. Total "theft of load" losses through 2007 amounted to $450m, according to TAPA sources.
Says Steve McHugh, acting vice chairman of TAPA for Europe: "The huge escalation in the number of these types of crime in the Netherlands and the huge cost of losses is forcing many manufacturers of high-value or high-risk products to seriously consider ways for their supply chains to bypass the Netherlands."
TAPA estimates that for every euro in value of supply chain thefts it costs manufacturers another five euros in consequential losses to investigate the incident, replace the stolen goods and make up for lost production or delivery cycles.
Source: Air Cargo World