CBP Warns of Apparel Cargo Threats in South Africa
CBP has learned of "several instances of containerized cargo pilferage and/or manipulation between Lesotho and the Port of Durban, South Africa," the agency said in a notice to Customs-Trade Partners Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) members. The notice is dated "December 2013" but was recently posted to CBP's site. Thieves in the area "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," said CBP. The thieves have most commonly targeted shipments of apparel and textiles and it's not unusual to "find employees of local companies involved in cargo theft in South Africa," said CBP.
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CBP advises importers to look closely at containerized shipments routed through the southern region of the Africa and review regional supply chains to make sure they align with C-TPAT minimum security criteria. For instance Importers with shipment in the area should make sure to use GPS as a live monitoring tool, rather than a record to be reviewed later, CBP said. Also, importers should use geo-fencing technology to alert the companies when a conveyance goes off of a planned route, the agency said. "C-TPAT partners are required to have firmly established response and reporting procedures throughout their respective supply chain(s)," said CBP. "Importers should ensure that reporting procedures are in place to stop a suspicious shipment from leaving Africa. Failing that, importers should establish procedures allowing a suspicious shipment to be reported at the earliest possible time thereafter." C-TPAT members should notify CBP of suspicious activities and security breaches, it said.