LandRisk 2024 Annual Incident Trends Report: Supply Chain Security in a Shifting World

A screenshot from the Risk Intelligence System / LandRisk Logistics.

24 January 2025

The upsurge of incidents recorded on the LandRisk System across Europe in 2024 raises many questions on the evolution of threats and threat actors directly targeting or likely to indirectly cause disruptions to supply chain operations in the upcoming year. This briefing concisely reflects on the rise of criminal activities, the social unrest, and the geopolitical tensions which impacted European supply chain operations throughout 2024.

By Jeanne Albin, LandRisk Manager

2024 saw a notable increase in supply chain-related security incidents, with a 13% rise in the total number of incidents reported to the LandRisk System throughout the year compared to 2023. Whilst details such as underreporting of criminal incidents, our continued search for additional sources, and differences in recording procedures between European countries lead us to warn that these figures must be treated with some caution, it is clear that supply chain operations continued to face many disruptions throughout the year.

At the forefront was the continued impact of organised criminal enterprises on supply chain operations. Analyses of the incident data collected throughout the year highlight that organised criminality persisted to be a major threat to the supply chain, with a majority of cargo crime-related incidents reported to the LandRisk Logistics System confirmed linked to organised crime groups (OCGs) activities. Whilst the nature of these groups differed depending on their location and main type of actions, all presented some comparable characteristics such as, for example, access to large networks of accomplices, facilitators, resellers, and resources (i.e., storage facilities or warehouses), a frequent transnational scope of operations, or, for the most sophisticated actors, involvement in a wide range of auxiliary criminal activities.

And whilst incidents such as the theft of cargo from heavy goods vehicles parked in non-secure motorway rest areas continue to stand as the epitome of the threat of OCGs on the supply chain in industry discourses, data has time and time again highlighted the multifaceted aspect of these actors throughout 2024 [Read more in ‘The nexus between organised criminality and supply chain logistics in Europe’]. The increase in the use of sophisticated modi operandi and violent incidents (i.e., robberies and hijacks) recorded across Europe, for example, has emphasised the renewed motivation displayed by some actors when presented with the opportunity of high rewards. Instances of counterfeit smuggling or incidents such as the targeted thefts of goods, pharmaceutical products, and substances used in the production of narcotics, or the misuse of legitimate logistics storage facilities by OCGs involved in transnational drug trafficking operations are further examples of seemingly more ‘subtle’ ways these actors can threaten supply chain operations, even when they are not directly targeting them.

Additionally, political pressure, protest actions, activist movements, and geopolitical tensions continued to create significant disruptions across key routes and industries. On this matter, if the rise in labour rights and social justice-related activism incidents observed throughout the year was predictable, perhaps the most surprising trend was the drop in climate activism-related actions causing significant disruptions to road transport operations as several major European activist groups transferred their focus from road blockades towards actions at more targeted business sites (such as oil and gas companies and insurance headquarters, for example).

Similarly, though analysts have warned for years of growing hybrid security threats with the potential to significantly disrupt supply chain operations, the important media coverage of recent incidents along the European railway network and at major logistics hubs, for example, has once again brought the threats of cyberattacks, disinformation, or targeted infrastructure disruptions to light as geopolitical tensions remained at the forefront of the news cycle, thereby once again signalling the need for operators to adopt enhanced security measures, contingency plans, and proactive risk management strategies going into 2025.

Read more in our past briefings on hybrid threats and their impact on logistics operations:
-> Hybrid threats to logistics and the wider supply chain;
-> Sabotage as a hybrid threat to Europe's critical infrastructure.

📢 WEBINAR RECORDING:

LandRisk Logistics incident analysis 2024 – Identifying trends, emerging threats, and key lessons for strengthening the supply chain

Missed our live session? You can now request access to the recording of our LandRisk webinar, where our speakers discussed key security threats impacting Europe’s supply chain—from organised crime to geopolitical risks. This session is essential for manufacturers, freight forwarders, and logistics providers looking to stay ahead of emerging trends and enhance resilience for 2025.