TT Club: To Fight Theft and Trafficking, Check Container Seals

 

In order to fight the multi-billion-dollar global problem of cargo theft, freight insurer TT Club wants shippers to pay more attention to the security seals on their containers. Though seals are a simple system, they are key to ensuring security for global shipping, keeping cargo in and illicit drugs out - but many supply chain players are unaware of their value, or are lax in implementing checks. 

There are many kinds of seals, like plastic seals, bolt seals (by far the most common type) and new digital seals. Criminals have a variety of strategies to breach a seal covertly, access a container and re-seal the door to disguise a theft mid-transit. Thieves can recruit an insider who only partially secures a bolt seal at the point of loading, allowing the "secure" container to be accessed later and then re-closed. An affixed bolt seal can be cut open, taken apart and reassembled with glue, with virtually no difference in appearance. Plastic seals can be replicated with 3D printing, creating a convincing duplicate. 

"In cases where a seal has been unsealed and resealed, cargo may appear to be secure even when it is not. This enables cargo theft or the introduction of clandestine migrants or illicit goods without raising suspicion," warned TT. 

If staff at the receiving warehouse cut off and throw away the seal without checking the seal number against the manifest, signs of tampering may be lost. At that point, it is harder to figure out where the theft occurred in the journey and who might be responsible. It's good practice for the receiving warehouse to check the seal number and keep the used seal in case there is a cargo claim later on.

"Whatever seal type is employed, their efficacy hinges on whether the information from the seal is accurately checked. A security culture must pervade operations at both loading and unloading points, as well as other key handling locations," says TT’s Logistics Risk Manager, Josh Finch.

TT Club also noted the trade-off between single-use seals and the global push to reduce the environmental impact of shipping. The seals may be perceived as plastic waste, but they have a role to play. "We cannot ignore the societal implications of allowing cargo theft to thrive in the industry," said Finch. "We see great potential in digital seals that increasingly appear on the market."