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SUPPLY CHAININTELLIGENCE CENTER

Global Intelligence Note9 March 2018

The SensiGuard ™ Supply Chain Intelligence Center (SCIC)

presents a summary of major incidents and news articles

relating to cargo theft and intelligence for the week ending

9 March 2018.

EMEA

The Netherlands/Belgium .........................................................1

Belgium ....................................................................................1

South Africa..............................................................................2

United Arab Emirates ...............................................................2

Nigeria ......................................................................................2

Russia ......................................................................................2

Switzerland ...............................................................................3

Denmark/Sweden .....................................................................3

Bangladesh/United Kingdom ....................................................3

France/United Kingdom ............................................................3

United Kingdom .......................................................................3

France ......................................................................................3

EMEA .......................................................................................3

Germany ..................................................................................4

APAC

China ........................................................................................4

Singapore/India ........................................................................4

India .........................................................................................4

North & South America

Brazil ........................................................................................5

Mexico .....................................................................................5

U.S. & Canada .........................................................................6

EMEA

The Netherlands/Belgium7 March 2018: Benelux ports continue to suffer

congestion woes—one barge operator reported

waiting five days to get a berth. Contargo has

alerted customers to 120-hour waiting times,

advising average waits of 24-36 hours for Antwerp and 12-72

hours for Rotterdam. The operator told customers a €19.50

per container surcharge would remain in effect for all terminals

in the seaports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, saying “The overall

situation continues to be unsatisfactory and has a negative

impact on the costs of inland waterway transport.”

Read more: The Loadstar (U.K.)

Belgium9 March 2018: NaVCIS and their industry partners

have informed the SCIC of a recent incident at

parking area Aire Gennotte on the A16 Motorway

in Belgium. The driver was awoken overnight by

males stealing fuel from his truck, and saw other males standing

by his cab door. The driver locked the doors, then started the

engine and sounded the horn. The offenders ran from the scene

to a U.K.-registered van. Due to the fact that the offenders

were carrying backpacks, it is believed that they are possibly

migrants.

sensitech.com SCIC Global Intelligence Note 9 March 2018 2

South Africa6 March 2018: Two suspects were arrested in

Alberton for Hijacking a truck carrying a load

of cigarettes valued at approximately R2-million

(€137,000). “Members of the Germiston Flying Squad and

Pretoria Crime Intelligence followed information that led to the

recovery of ninety big boxes of cigarettes and the arrest of

two males in Alberton,” said a spokesperson on behalf of the

Germiston Flying Squad. A truck with the load of cigarettes

was hijacked from an undisclosed company in Kempton Park.

The load was then moved onto another truck, which belonged

to one of the suspects. The two suspects made their way to

Alberton. They were caught inside an undisclosed warehouse

in Chrislou Crescent, Alberton North at around 5:00 a.m. on

Tuesday.

Read more: Alberton Record (South Africa)

6 March 2018: A man was shot and killed by

security guards during a morning Cash-in-Transit

heist attempt in Randburg. A Police captain said

that around seven heavily armed men attempted

to rob the Cash-in-Transit vehicle at a business premise.

Preliminary reports indicate that the security cash truck was

robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and unconfirmed

commodities in Johannesburg West, leading to a shootout

between the alleged robbers and the security detail that was

escorting the cash truck. One suspect was fatally wounded, and

the rest of the group managed to escape. Three vehicles along

with several firearms and ammunition were recovered.

Read more: News 24 (South Africa)

5 March 2018: A delivery truck was busy turning

around in Sturrock Street, Deal Party, Port

Elizabeth when two armed men pointed a gun

at the driver and passenger and hijacked the

truck. A Police spokesperson said the driver and

passenger were released by the suspects in Uitenhage Road,

Ezinyoka. The truck tracking device led the SAPS K9 unit to its

location where it was found abandoned in an open field at Wells

Estate. The missing cargo consisted of boxes of various items

such as cigarettes and brand name clothing. The exact value

has yet to be determined.

Read more: Herald Live (South Africa)

United Arab Emirates6 March 2018: A security guard is on the run in

Dubai after stealing Dh5 million from a vehicle that

was transporting cash to an ATM at a shopping

mall. An official from the company told the police

that when the vehicle stopped at the mall in Deira, the guard

distracted the other guards and fled with the cash. The police

have launched a manhunt for the suspect.

Read more: Khaleej Times (UAE)

Nigeria5 March 2018: The operatives of the Nigerian

Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, have

arrested twelve suspected pipeline vandals and

oil thieves in different parts of Rivers State. The

State command of the NSCDC also disclosed that it impounded

seven trucks, two cars, and two boats loaded with thousands of

litres of stolen crude oil and adulterated petroleum products.

Read more: Vanguard (Nigeria)

Russia7 March 2018: Russia has its sights set on

becoming a railway transit hub for Japan’s

container cargo delivery to the European Union

in the years ahead, propelled by the introduction

of new services by railroad RZD, a vertically integrated company.

Currently the majority of Japan’s container cargo is transported

to the European Union by sea and air; however that could

change substantially in the coming years under the current plan.

Read more: Journal of Commerce

sensitech.com SCIC Global Intelligence Note 9 March 2018 3

SwitzerlandMarch 2018: A warehouse in Baar belonging to

a sports equipment wholesaler was broken into

and a large quantity of equipment was taken. The

criminals arrived with a transport van and broke

into the warehouse using force. The value of what was taken

was around 100,000 Swiss Francs (€85,240). It is believed that

these criminal were a highly professional gang and carried out

this theft without being spotted.

Source: K&N Ring Alert

Denmark/Sweden20 February 2018: China Railway Tunnel

Group, a subsidiary of state-owned China

Railway Group Limited, has proposed to build

the HH-tunnel connecting Helsingborg in

Sweden and Helsingør in Denmark. The tunnel is a second rail

and road link crossing the strait between the northern countries,

needed to alleviate traffic on the Øresund Bridge. Construction

of the HH-tunnel has been discussed several times but until

now, a building plan has not materialised.

Read more: RailFreight.com

Bangladesh/United Kingdom9 March 2018: It may have been much

anticipated, but it turns out that the U.K.’s recent

decision to lift the ban on cargo carried on direct

flights out of Bangladesh has amounted to a hill of

beans (i.e., not much). The only airline with direct flights between

Dhaka and London is Biman Bangladesh—except that it doesn’t

have direct flights, because it is currently banned from operating

in the EU due to security issues. While the airline is hopeful of

a resolution to the problem soon, it means that Bangladesh’s

long-suffering exporters are still paying over the odds to fly their

goods out of the country.

Read more: The Loadstar (U.K.)

France/United Kingdom8 March 2018: The boss of the port of Calais has

said there could be tailbacks up to thirty miles in all

directions, and potential food shortages in Britain,

if a Brexit deal involves mandatory customs and

sanitary checks at the French ferry terminal. Jean-

Marc Puissesseau made an impassioned plea to Theresa May

and Michel Barnier to put plans in place immediately to avert

congestion in Calais and Dover, where bosses have already

warned of permanent 20-mile tailbacks.

Read more: The Guardian (U.K.)

United KingdomMarch 2018: Cargo thieves were again active

at Toddington Motorway Services on the M1

motorway in East England. The thieves stole from

two soft-sided trailers that were parked there

overnight for the drivers break. The cargo that was

taken was IT products and textiles. There were numerous similar

incidents at both the Northbound and Southbound service areas

at Toddington in 2017.

Source: K&N Ring Alert

France8 March 2018: NaVCIS and their industry

partners have alerted the SCIC of the current

risk of migrant attacks on the Caen/Ouistreham

dockside areas of France. The last ESSO Fuel

stop before the ports area is also a risk area for migrant attacks.

EMEAMarch 2018: There were 4,485 cargo theft

incidents recorded in Europe, Middle East

and Africa region in 2017, according to

SensiGuard’s Supply Chain Intelligence

Center report. The top five countries for incidents recorded

were the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands,

and South Africa.

Read more: Transport Topics

sensitech.com SCIC Global Intelligence Note 9 March 2018 4

Germany5 March 2018: A cargo of more than 250

tyres were taken from a parking area on the A9

(Parkplatz Sophienberg) near Bayreuth. The

criminals cut the trailers curtains while the driver

was asleep, and stole the cargo. The value is

believed to be in the low five-digit euro amount.

3 March 2018: As a driver slept in his truck at

a parking rest area on the B33 near Biberach,

criminals broke into his trailer and stole many

boxes of high quality cosmetics. The value of what was stolen

hasn’t been determined yet.

APAC

China28 February 2018: Over 260,000 enterprises

and other entities will have to start paying an

environment tax in April, as China moves to protect

the environment and cut pollutants, according to

the country’s top tax authority. The Environmental Protection Tax

Law took effect on Jan. 1, and taxpayers have to file for taxation

each quarter. Under the Environmental Protection Tax Law,

which targets enterprises and public institutions that discharge

listed pollutants directly into the environment, companies will

pay taxes for producing noise, air and water pollutants, as well

as solid waste. The introduction of the tax called an end to the

“pollutant discharge fee,” which China had been collecting for

nearly 40 years.

Read more: XinhuaNet (China)

26 February 2018: Five people died after

a ship capsized in a river in central China’s

Hunan Province. The tragedy happened around

12:00 a.m. on Monday in the Yuanshui River in

Changde City. The ship, which was used to transport sand, had

six people on board. Only one was rescued. The bodies of the

other five have been retrieved from the water. The cause of the

accident is being investigated.

Read more: XinhuaNet (China)

26 February 2018: The China Coast Guard

solved 91 human smuggling cases and

participated in 349 maritime search and rescue

missions in 2017. The coast guard also handled

891 smuggling cases involving a total of 4 billion yuan (about

USD $631 million) last year, including cases in refined oil, sugar,

cigarettes, alcohol, frozen goods and rare wild animals. About

3,000 fishing boats were fined for violations of fishing laws and

regulations, such as fishing without license, using prohibited

fishing tools and fishing in closed seasons. About 209 people

faced criminal penalties.

Read more: China Daily

Singapore/India7 March 2018: Four people are missing after

“a serious fire” erupted on a Singapore-flagged

cargo ship in the Arabian Sea belonging to the

shipping branch of the Danish group A.P. Moller-

Maersk, authorities said Wednesday. Maersk Line says the fire

broke out late Tuesday on Maersk Honam and firefighter efforts

were “unsuccessful.” “The crew sent out a distress signal, and a

total of twenty-three crew members were safely evacuated to a

nearby vessel. Maersk Line says the fire is still burning and “the

situation of the vessel is very critical.” The cause of the blaze is

still unknown.

Read more: Daily Mail

India5 March 2018: Masked men in a car waylaid

a truck carrying spare windmill parts and

drove it away after assaulting the driver near

Gummidipoondi. According to police, the

driver of the truck was carrying Rs. 5 lakh worth

of spare parts. He was heading towards Gummidipoondi, on

the Chennai–Kolkatta National Highway, for powder coating

the spare parts. When the vehicle reached Panambakkam, a

car stopped in front of the truck. The truck driver stopped his

vehicle. A group of men wearing monkey caps came out of the

car and forced the driver to leave the truck at knife-point. When

he refused, they hit him with logs and drove the vehicle away.

Read more: The Hindu (India)

sensitech.com SCIC Global Intelligence Note 9 March 2018 5

North & South America

Brazil6 March 2018: According to Firjan, (Federation of

Industries of Rio de Janeiro), the losses of cargo

theft in 2017 for the state was R $607.1 million.

This type of crime was the one that most affected

the industrial companies of Rio de Janeiro in 2016:

17% of the total, more than the national average (7%). The

border between the northern part of the capital and Baixada

Fluminense is the region most affected by this crime.

Read more: Folha de São Paulo (Brazil)

5 March 2018: Brazil had a 68% increase in the

number of thefts of Cash-in-Transit cargo in 2017—

109 thefts, compared to 65 occurrences recorded

in 2016. This is according to the national survey of

attacks on Cash-in-Transit vehicles and banks of 2017, carried

out by the National Confederation of Workers in Private Security,

Paraná Private Security Agents Federation and Private Security

Agents Union of Curitiba.

Read more: Metrópoles (Brazil)

4 March 2018: Criminals stormed the runway

at Viracopos Airport and stole USD $5 million in

cash. The cargo, which was bound for Zurich,

had left Guarulhos, and just stopped and landed

at Viracopos. The assailants entered the cargo terminal at the

airport through side access, along the Santos Dumont highway.

They used a color-coded vehicle similar to those of the airport

runway security vehicles, to avoid drawing attention. Then they

attacked the guards, took the cargo, and fled. The Federal

Police are investigating the case.

Read more: Globo G1 (Brazil)

1 March 2018: Rio Grande do Sul and the other

southern states of the country carried out an

integrated operation after police detected rumors

that criminals from Rio de Janeiro could come

to the region because of federal intervention. Drugs, smuggled

goods and stolen vehicles were seized. Barriers were set up on

the borders between the three states and also on the border

with neighboring countries.

Read more: Rádio Progresso (Brazil)

Mexico8 March 2018: Federal Police arrested three

cargo thieves who stole a truck and trailer on

highway Mexico-Veracruz (MEX-150D) in the city

of Cuautlancingo, Puebla. The modus operandi

(M.O.) used by this criminal gang was to intercept the cargo unit

in transit, making use of a jammer to block GPS signal, and a

taser to wound and threaten the drivers.

7 March 2018: A truck and trailer were stolen on

highway Arco Norte in the city of Sanctorum,

Tlaxcala. The cargo thieves blocked the GPS

signal for 45 minutes. Unknown to the thieves, the

jammer’s battery cut off, allowing the Monitoring

Center to stop the truck’s engine in the city of Tlaxcala, where

State Police recovered the cargo unit with full cargo still

onboard.

5 March 2018: In the city of Tetla, Tlaxcala, Federal

Police recovered two 3½-tonne vans loaded with milk

products. They were stolen hours before in the city of

Apizaco by gunmen onboard a dark van.

3 March 2018: A truck and trailer loaded

with groceries was stolen on highway

Mexico-Veracruz (MEX-150D) in the city of

Rio Frio, State of Mexico. The GPS signal

was lost for an hour and a half. It was reported again later that

same day in the city of Papalotla, Tlaxcala, where Federal Police

were able to recover the full cargo.

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prevention capacity. Where possible, we have elected to maintain news articles and briefs in their native grammatical format. ©2018 Sensitech Inc.

15 Mar 2018

1 March 2018: Federal Police seized a criminal

warehouse in the city of Cuautlancingo,

Puebla, where they found eight tanker trucks

loaded with LP gas, which were stolen on

highway Mexico-Veracruz (MEX-150D).

U.S. & Canada7 March 2018: A San Antonio man was arrested

in connection with an alleged tire theft ring after

about $40,000 worth of tires were stolen in

Wichita Falls. The 36-year-old man is charged with

engaging in organized criminal activity involving

theft over $30,000.

Read more: Texomas Homepage (Wichita Falls, TX)

6 March 2018: A newly developed border

security tool from Unisys claims to have real-

time ability to assist worldwide law enforcement

in judging whether or not a traveler or cargo

is engaged in criminal activity. The U.S. IT

company is touting a system called LineSight that’s designed

to help border authorities detect the most suspicious travelers

or freight going in and out of airports, security checkpoints and

all other forms of international transportation. The LineSight

system analyzes data including airline ticket information, Interpol

intelligence and cargo manifests to help border authorities pick

out the most plausible threat in seconds.

Read more: Newsweek

6 March 2018: Uber’s big push to dominate the

trucking industry took a leap forward with the

announcement that the ride-hailing giant is now

operating its fleet of self-driving trucks on its

freight-hauling app. The shipments are taking place in Arizona,

where the ride-hailing giant is also testing out its robot taxis.

Uber said it is using a transfer hub model, in which the trucks

drive autonomously on the highway and human drivers take over

for the last miles.

Read more: The Verge

5 March 2018: Six thousand pounds of harmless

sulfuric acid fell into the sea after a ship headed for

Charleston loses its containers. The Maersk Line

ship that had at least seventy cargo containers either

collapse or go overboard during rough seas is now anchored off

the Charleston coast as officials review the losses.

Read more: Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

5 March 2018: U.S. Customs and Border

Protection (CBP) officers found 9 pounds (4.25

kg) of liquid cocaine concealed inside a loose

cargo consignment of shampoo bottles. The

estimated value of the seized narcotics is $106,250. “Narcotics

smugglers try to conceal their illegal items within legally imported

shipments,” stated Edwin Cruz, San Juan Area Port director.

“CBP officers are well trained to search and find irregularities

that might be used to elude detection.” CBP Officers conducting

vehicle and cargo inspection operations of the M/V Kydon,

arriving from Dominican Republic selected loose cargo for

secondary inspection. A CBP K9 alerted to the presence of

narcotics within a package of hair shampoo bottles. A sample of

the liquid reacted positive to the properties of cocaine.

Read more: The Virgin Islands Consortium

2 March 2018: A coalition of more than one

hundred retailers, consumers, trade and

transportation organisations warned East

and Gulf coast waterfront employees and the

International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) that a failure

to resume master contract negotiations will likely result in a

diversion of cargo to West Coast ports.

Read more: Journal of Commerce

2 March 2018: The Waukesha (Wisconsin) Police

Department has recovered a box truck filled with

liquor that was stolen while on its delivery route.

The truck was described as a 20-ft. box truck with

custom wrapping on the box. It was stolen from the area of

Silvernail and Grandview.

Read more: WDJT-TV (Milwaukee, WI)