Netherlands’ economy at risk due to rising cargo theft at Schiphol, says TAPA

Cargo theft in and of itself is a serious problem, but this is the first I’ve seen where an organization warns of impending loss to a nation’s economy because of it. The Netherlands’ economy has a lot invested in its distribution activities, where many leading companies distribute throughout Europe from bases in The Netherlands. According to this article in Air Cargo World, the European arm of TAPA warns that that economy is in trouble if something isn’t done to stem the increase in cargo theft:

The association says the number of reported incidents has risen from 98 in 2005 to 405 last year including a number of armed hijacks and burglaries around Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. Speaking at a one-day conference of Dutch officials and business leaders, David Reid, Acting Chairman of TAPA EMEA, warned that without swift action companies will relocate their distribution activities to other countries.

“There is no question that the Dutch economy will suffer if major businesses take their business elsewhere. No single party involved in tackling crime can succeed on its own. The police need the support of both government and industry to attack the root cause of cargo crime and we are extremely encouraged by the positive reaction to our initiative.”