Although the police quickly detained two suspects, for the transport sector this is, above all, a warning signal. Transport of high-value goods remains a key target for organised criminal groups, and a stop is still the most vulnerable moment of the entire transport operation.

Armed and determined

The attack took place at around 23:50 on Lahnweg. Police findings indicate that several masked men dressed in dark clothing approached the truck while it was stopped. One of them threatened the driver with a firearm.

“The perpetrators acted quickly and decisively. Their target was non-ferrous metals,” the police in Düren reported.

The attackers took not only the load, but the entire vehicle combination – the tractor unit together with the semi-trailer filled with non-ferrous metals. The driver managed to get away from the scene and alerted the services from a nearby house.

Large-scale operation involving firearms

After the report was made, an immediate search operation was launched. A police helicopter was among the units involved. The stolen vehicle was found in the Krefeld area.

In Meerbusch, officers detained two men aged 32 and 29. During the intervention, a shot was fired from a service weapon. One of the suspects suffered a gunshot wound and was also bitten by a police dog. According to the services, his life is not in danger. The use of the firearm is being investigated by the police in Duisburg under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office in Düsseldorf. Investigators are analysing whether the detainees were acting as part of a broader criminal structure.

A stop – the riskiest moment of the route

This story raises a question that regularly returns in the industry: when transporting high-risk loads, can the likelihood of an attack be effectively reduced?

Non-ferrous metals are among the goods that are particularly attractive to criminals.

“For such transports, the ideal solution is a double crew and reducing stops to the absolute minimum,” advises Adam Pająk, Vice President of Transbrokers.eu 

Transport task under scrutiny

In the background of such incidents, the transport order terms and insurance policies come to the fore.

A carrier transporting high-value goods should thoroughly analyse the transport task, because it may предусee additional obligations, such as a double crew in the vehicle or parking in specific locations (e.g. in a guarded parking area or one monitored by CCTV). If such recommendations exist, they must be followed without exception, and breaking or ignoring them may be treated as gross negligence, and in extreme cases even as intentional fault – explains Adam Pająk.

The expert adds that in OCPD policies there may be limits for certain types of shipments or exclusions of liability. In such situations, the insurer’s liability may be lower than the sum insured.

You should make sure that the transported loads are covered by insurance protection and have not been excluded, and if they are, check whether the policy does not impose additional obligations, e.g. parking in designated places – the expert adds.