Continuous investment in equipment and staff is a must for logistics operators in the high-value cargo sector.According to Martin Taylor, national risk manager at Rhenus Logistics South Africa, companies need to be prepared at all times. “We have a number of tactics and tools in place, including surveillance, armed vehicles and asset tracking. And we always use a select group of drivers and transporters whom we vet on a regular basis,” he told Freight News.He said crime had been on the rise. “At this time of year, it is the start of the “silly season”, which means an increase in crime too. Over recent weeks there have been several hijackings. Crime is up 34% year on year. While some of the crime that takes place is opportunistic, most of it is at the hands of syndicates. There also seem to be one or two big syndicates that have resurfaced. Criminals are also taking advantage of the delays out of the Durban port. And the N3 toll route remains a lucrative hotspot for criminals.”It’s also not just in South Africa where this is problematic. “There has been a dramatic increase in crime in Botswana, especially in the theft of electronic goods. These syndicates seem to jump across the border. And if you look at the border post at this point in time, it's so easy for them just to pay anyone off at the border and go through undocumented.”According to Taylor, when it comes to high-value cargo it is essential that the focus remains on the proper control of information. It is also key to remain unpredictable. “We do random polygraph tests with key personnel and are constantly checking their backgrounds. We also focus on trying to control information and ensure that it's limited to a number of staff only. So if something goes wrong, you've got a small pool to look at.”In the current tough economic times, it’s not just the number of crimes that is increasing, but also the number of people involved. “Whereas in the past you would normally have had four or five armed attackers in a vehicle, this has now increased to 15 to 20 fully armed attackers in three or more vehicles,” said Taylor. “Most crimes are properly planned and executed. It’s astonishing to see the militancy and the precision with which they are actually executed. These criminals have received proper training. Their plans are well executed. They know exactly what to do and how to do it.”Because of all the complexities involved, logistics operators can no longer just rely on security staff or law enforcement. “We need to try and control it in-house as much as possible and take that predictability out of what we do. There are a couple of methods that we apply in order to make sure that we don't become part of the statistics,” he said.He added that there were a number of challenges facing the industry, including the number of illegitimate law enforcement uniforms out there. “This makes it difficult to determine whether it's a legitimate law enforcement staff member who is pulling over a vehicle or not. Other countries don’t have this challenge,” said Taylor, indicating that risk management itself was an ongoing challenge. “The success story is in the control of information, whether it be emails, invoices etc, looking at the distribution list, or keeping the network as small as possible. Regular screening of staff is just as important.”
