ALERT: South Africa – Risk of Pilferage/Cargo Manipulation

The C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) issued an alert regarding a trend in South Africa regarding pilferage and cargo Manipulation.

CBP has confirmed several instances of containerized cargo pilferage and/or manipulation between Lesotho and the Port of Durban, South Africa. This route is approximately 282 miles long and takes about 8 hours to cover. Wearing apparel and textile importers have been particularly hit by thieves who steal the original cargo while in transit and then counterbalance the container with items of no value so that the weight of the container remains the same as the original weight so as not to alert local Customs officials. It is not unusual to find employees of local companies involved in cargo theft in South Africa.

C-TPAT highly recommends that importers re-assess supply chain risk factors facing containerized shipments routed through the southern region of the African continent.

To read more: C-TPAT ALERT