Organised criminal networks are targeting global supply chains with increasing sophistication, and New Zealand businesses are not immune, according to a new report by insurance brokerage Gallagher Insurance NZ.
Cargo theft losses in the United States alone reached US$35 billion in 2024, with figures continuing to rise through 2025, the report noted. While most global reporting has focused on North America and Europe, Gallagher warned that New Zealand exporters, importers, freight forwarders, and port operators are deeply connected to international supply chains – often involving multiple handovers across borders, time zones, and jurisdictions.
“Today’s criminal networks are highly coordinated, fast-moving, and technologically sophisticated,” said Emma Macadie, senior broker – marine at Gallagher.
According to Gallagher, criminal groups are no longer relying on opportunistic theft at unsecured locations. Instead, they are executing targeted operations planned in advance, using impersonation of legitimate carriers or drivers, manipulation of booking and dispatch systems, forged documents and false collection orders, and interference with tracking technology to obscure shipment movements.
When cargo theft occurs, businesses face consequences well beyond the value of the stolen goods. Deliveries are delayed, shipments rerouted, and supply chain commitments broken – disruptions that can affect an entire network of partners and customers.
“Cargo theft has a ripple effect on how businesses operate, spend, and protect their reputation,” Macadie said.
Reputational damage can follow, as clients and end customers may not distinguish between theft and operational failure - particularly when high-value or time-sensitive goods are involved. Financial exposure can extend to increased insurance deductibles, coverage disputes, uninsured losses, and the cost of emergency replacements.
Insurance responses are also shifting as criminal methods become more technologically driven. Gallagher noted that in cases involving digital interference, system manipulation, or fraudulent redirection, policy wordings, exclusions, or sub-limits may materially affect how much a business can recover.
Gallagher recommended that businesses review whether their policies reflect current theft methods, ensure insured values and risk profiles are accurate, and align insurance solutions with operational realities. Practical prevention measures cited in the report include multi-step authentication for drivers and carriers, GPS and geofencing tracking, intelligence-sharing with logistics partners, and training frontline staff to identify warning signs.
“Cargo theft is evolving quickly, but businesses don’t need to face that complexity alone. With the right insight and the right protections in place, organisations can stay ahead of emerging threats and protect what matters most,” Macadie noted.
In January, supply chain analytics firm Verisk CargoNet released its annual analysis showing estimated losses across the US and Canada had surged to nearly US$725 million in 2025, a 60% increase from the year prior. Confirmed cargo thefts climbed 18% to 2,646 incidents, even as total supply chain crime events remained broadly flat at 3,594. The average value per stolen shipment rose 36% to US$273,990.
Industry incident monitoring in Asia Pacific by Transported Asset Protection Association Asia Pacific (TAPA APAC) recently recorded at least 57 cargo theft incidents in February 2025 across 11 countries, with India reporting the highest number (26 incidents) followed by Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand. The stolen goods ranged from food and drink to cosmetics, clothing, jewellery, metals, phones, and pharmaceuticals.
TAPA APAC noted that intrusion incidents accounted for about 23% of recorded cargo thefts in APAC in 2025, with 8% involving collusion or inside involvement by employees or drivers.
Piracy and sea robbery incidents rose in 2025, with 127 incidents reported through early December, compared with 107 in 2024, making it one of the highest annual totals in recent years. Bulk carriers operating through busy straits such as the Singapore Strait were the most frequently targeted vessels.
