Trucks' cargo increasingly targeted by gangs in Netherlands

Trucks with expensive cargo are increasingly targeted by gangs, especially in the southern parts of the Netherlands. These gangs empty the trucks' trailers while they're parked in parking lots, or even while they are moving, according to the annual Transport Crime report the police published on Wednesday, the Telegraaf reports.

In 2015 cargo was stolen from trucks 177 times. Last year there were 226 such cases, an increase of nearly 30 percent. The number of attempts to steal cargo also increased from 131 in 2015 to 191 in 2016. The number of trucks that were stolen decreased from 150 to 110, a decrease of 27 percent.

Cargo theft is a particularly common crime along the highways in the south of the Netherlands. Rest areas along the A67, A73 and A2 were often the scene o the crime. The Hazeldonk rest area on the A16, near the border, was the hotspot last year. A total of 40 cargo thefts happened here.

The gangs particularly targeted computer equipment, designer clothes and expensive shoes. These goods often have high resale value. According to the report, criminals are also increasingly trying to manipulate information flows. They therefore know which trucks are carrying precious cargo. And in some cases the delivery address for the truck was changed.

In the Action Plan 2017-2018 Transport Crime, the police, Public Prosecutor, insurers and transport sectors came up with a number of measures to reduce transport crime. One such is that the Hazeldonk rest area will get secured truck parking during the course of this year. Advanced video cameras will be installed at parking lots, trucks will be equipped with sensors and it will become easier to report cargo thefts.