Rise in Cargo Theft as Criminal Tactics Evolve
There is a deepening and increasingly complex global cargo theft crisis, driven by organized criminal networks deploying ever more sophisticated tactics across road, rail, sea, and digital channels, according to the 2025 Cargo Theft Report, from TT Club and BSI Consulting.
Food and beverage products led all stolen commodity categories, followed by agriculture, electronics, automotive parts, construction materials, and metals.
Trucks remain the dominant target, accounting for roughly 70% of all incidents globally, and more than a fifth (22%) of global cargo theft incidents involved the cooperation of insiders.
According to the report, Brazil, Mexico, India, the United States, Indonesia, Chile, China, Germany, and South Africa ranked as the world's top countries for recorded cargo theft incidents.
Ecuador experienced one of the sharpest increases of any nation, with theft cases nearly doubling as gang-related violence intensified in coastal provinces.
North America: Rail and Tech-enabled theft soar
Rail cargo theft in the US rose from 4% of incidents in 2024 to 10% in 2025. Organized criminal groups - including networks linked to cartels operating out of Sinaloa, Mexico - carried out coordinated attacks on freight trains across rural areas of Arizona and California, employing deliberate system sabotage, detailed advance planning, and armed encounters with law enforcement.
Technology-enabled theft also grew more sophisticated, with criminals exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses, fraudulent documents, and impersonation tactics to carry out fictitious pickups, double and triple brokering, and product hostage schemes. California (31%), Texas (15%), and Illinois (7%) recorded the highest incident volumes in the United States.
Europe: Facility thefts rise as criminal methods evolve
Germany (27%), Italy (13%), the United Kingdom (9%), France (6%), and Spain (6%) reported the greatest number of thefts. Facility thefts rose notably - particularly in Italy, Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria - with warehouses accounting for 33% of all theft locations. In the UK, cargo theft losses reached USD 149 million in 2024, in 2025 a USD 9 million smartphone heist at Heathrow airport ranked among the highest-value incidents.
Asia: Piracy booms and new commodity targets emerge
India, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam were the region's most affected countries. Half of all incidents occurred at warehouses and production sites. A notable emerging trend was the theft of rare earth minerals in China. However, the report noted that maritime risks also escalated sharply, with sea piracy incidents rising 85% in the first half of 2025 - reaching their highest levels in nearly a decade. Likewise, the Strait of Malacca and Singapore experienced a 281% year-on-year surge in sea piracy.
"The 2025 data reinforces that cargo theft is a dynamic, intelligence-driven challenge that demands an equally dynamic response, said Jim Yarbrough, Global Supply Chain Solutions Director for BSI Consulting, in a statement.
"Criminal groups are targeting every link in the chain - from unsecured parking spaces and rest stops to exploitable digital freight platforms. Organizations must match that sophistication with robust, flexible risk strategies."
The report concludes with critical mitigation recommendations, including dynamic commodity-specific risk assessment, enhanced GPS tracking and tamper-evident sealing, tighter governance around load board usage, increased investment in scanning technology and cross-agency intelligence sharing, as well as heightened scrutiny of subcontracted transport providers.