This article analyzes the evolving landscape of cargo theft methods and some of the security countermeasures needed to protect luxury goods along supply chains.

Introduction

The security of goods during transit and storage represents a primary concern in the logistics sector, especially for high-value products such as luxury items. These include a wide variety of products, including clothing, footwear, eyewear, leather goods and high-end accessories, fine watches, artisanal pieces, perfumes, cosmetics, and skincare products. As such goods are prime targets for theft, robust logistics are essential for brands to protect their assets, safeguard their reputation, and ensure consistent quality and exclusivity for their customers. In Italy, clothing is the second most targeted commodity after food and beverages. Given the high-value nature of these items, the financial and reputational repercussions of cargo theft can be considerable, underscoring the need for proactive and integrated security strategies.

Theft methods and vulnerabilities in cargo transport

The luxury goods logistics industry faces constantly growing security challenges, characterized by a worrying increase in both the frequency and sophistication of threats, particularly with regard to last-mile delivery. Cargo crime causes significant financial losses, as demonstrated by TAPA EMEA, according to which incidents exceeded €37.2 million in January 2025 alone. Beyond direct financial impacts, these thefts result in supply chain disruptions, increased insurance premiums, loss of sales, and significant damage to corporate reputation.

Criminals employ various modus operandi to carry out cargo theft:

Physical attacks: in this category of incidents, which includes break-ins and ambushes during transport (rolling hits), violence or threats are used against drivers and security personnel. Thieves may also block roads with stolen vehicles and scatter nails to delay intervention, or sabotage operations by impersonating law enforcement officers. These attacks often result in higher losses per single theft compared to other methods and are particularly common in Italy, where reports increased by 300% between 2021 and 2023. A notable example includes an ambush against a truck transporting luxury handbags worth approximately half a million euros in Tuscany in May 2024.

Fraud: this method relies on elaborate planning and deception. Tactics include impersonating couriers by replicating colors, logos, unit numbers, and license plates of transport companies’ trucks, as well as the use of forged documentation to orchestrate fictitious pickups, effectively carrying out “appointment thefts.” This occurred in northwestern Italy in 2022, when a fashion shipment worth one million euros was stolen using this method.

Insider threats: organized crime groups often infiltrate supply chains with corrupt drivers and companies, exploiting internal information to target higher-value shipments. Employee complicity or their access to secure areas and data can be more difficult to detect, adding significant complexity to security efforts. For example, in northeastern Italy in 2025, an employee of a luxury fashion brand was stealing materials and packaging to reproduce goods for sale on a parallel black market.

Criminals increasingly use drones for surveillance and reconnaissance. These devices can monitor sites without alerting detection systems, examine vulnerabilities, and identify the location of security cameras and guard posts. Drones can enter open warehouses unnoticed, enabling analysis of goods and internal facility layouts. Criminals use small drones under 250 g, which are exempt from registration requirements, or remove chips that prevent operation near airports. In recent years, there has indeed been an increase in hijackings of trucks transporting goods from airports.

Specific locations that are particularly vulnerable to cargo theft include:

Unsecured parking areas: parking areas represent vulnerabilities, especially for long-distance deliveries, as drivers often park on roadsides in industrial zones, making them easy targets due to the scarcity of secure parking. In Italy, for example, where there is only one TAPA Parking Security Requirements (PSR)-certified parking area, 31% of all cargo theft claims stemmed from thefts from parked vehicles.

In transit: a significant percentage of thefts occur while goods are in motion, often within a few kilometers of the shipper’s or consignee’s terminal. For example, 74% of cargo thefts in North America in 2020 occurred during transit, and globally this figure was 41%. One of the main vulnerabilities of in-transit theft is also represented by the use of curtain-sided semi-trailers.

Facilities: thieves often break into warehouses using force, load trucks with goods, and flee. In 2024, thefts directly from facilities accounted for 16% of incidents globally, and warehouses were the most affected location in Europe with 41% of incidents.

Rail: there is a growing trend of thefts from rail lines, particularly when trains are stationary. Criminals target containers and curtain-sided semi-trailers, with reported cases of seals being cut and goods stolen.

The theft methods and vulnerabilities mentioned above are often exacerbated by the involvement of organized crime. These groups infiltrate supply chains, use stolen vehicles, and employ tactics often supported by internal assistance. The Organized Crime Index (OCI) indicates that Italy has one of the highest crime rates in Europe, with organized criminal groups linked to logistics companies used as fronts to facilitate theft.

The complex and dynamic nature of luxury goods logistics requires an equally sophisticated and adaptable security approach, with a multifactor strategy that integrates physical, technological, and operational countermeasures, while promoting collaboration throughout the entire supply chain.

Security best practices in luxury supply chains

Effective security for luxury goods requires a layered approach with measures that are continuously assessed and updated, given criminals’ ability to adapt.

Physical and operational security measures form the foundation of protection. One example is high-security locks, including electronic seals, used to counter attacks on trailers and containers.

“Cargo at rest” represents a critical vulnerability. The use of a team of drivers on the same vehicle allows continuous movement of the cargo, reducing the risk associated with mandatory stops. When stops are unavoidable and secure parking is unavailable, drivers should avoid stopping within a certain radius of known facilities and vary routes to minimize predictability. Moreover, although company markings on trailers may help in potential recovery, they make containers easier targets to track.

The lack of secure parking spaces is a significant issue, particularly in regions such as Italy, where there is only one TAPA-approved site and a ratio of one parking space for every 289 trucks. Initiatives such as EU SSTPA and TAPA PSR aim to address this issue by promoting secure parking standards. In their absence, companies can resort to hiring guards to escort vehicles or invest in GNSS tracking technologies and onboard video monitoring systems. In rail transport, effective deterrents include positioning containers with doors facing each other to prevent access, and the use of electronic seals and volumetric sensors to send alerts in the event of tampering and internal movement detection.

In the realm of technological and cybersecurity, companies should ensure the highest possible levels of cybersecurity principles, especially confidentiality, authentication, and authorization, to enhance the protection of sensitive operational information such as routes, schedules, and personnel details. Criminals even exploit artificial intelligence to create phishing emails, deepfakes, and malware to access transport data. To counter these threats, companies should train all employees—particularly those at higher risk—to identify suspicious behavior, verify information through external channels, and be wary of requests for sensitive data.

Conclusion

The security of luxury goods in the global supply chain represents an ongoing challenge, characterized by an increase in both the frequency and sophistication of criminal activities. Significant financial losses are compounded by supply chain disruptions, increased insurance premiums, lost sales, and reputational damage.

Strategic and collaborative approaches are required to build resilient supply chains. Security must be commensurate with risk, layered, and supported by protective intelligence to identify, assess, and mitigate threats. Cross-border and domestic movements require a clear structure for interoperability, with well-defined roles and responsibilities among agencies, groups, and potentially both public and commercial entities. Engaging risk management companies can help design tailored security solutions, ranging from due diligence on new employees to country risk assessments and the development of security procedures.

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Francesco Macci obtained an Erasmus Mundus International Master’s Degree in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies (IMSISS), a master’s degree in Leadership for International Relations and Made in Italy, and an advanced training course in Space Institutions and Policies with a scholarship from the Italian Space Agency (ASI). For the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis (MIPA) he published “The Growth of the Moroccan Military Air Power” (2023). He coordinated the Security & Defence Working Group of the European Student Think Tank (EST); he worked as an intelligence analyst in the private sector, and he currently holds the position of Security Manager.