Police in Brandenburg have intensified night-time patrols at rest areas along the A12, although catching offenders in the act remains difficult.
A report by rbb24 Brandenburg aktuell followed motorway police from Fürstenwalde during an overnight shift. The patrol covered parking areas on the route between the Polish border and Berlin, with officers looking for damaged trailers, suspicious individuals and vans that could be used to transport stolen goods.
Police inspect rows of parked lorries
One of the patrol stops was the Kersdorfer See parking area on the A12. Shortly before midnight, lorries were parked close together while drivers took their mandatory rest periods. Officers moved between the vehicles and examined trailer curtains by torchlight.
On one trailer, they found a distinctive semicircular cut. Such openings allow thieves to inspect the cargo without opening the trailer fully. In this case, the offenders appeared to have abandoned the attempt, and the cut had later been taped from inside.
Thieves typically strike while drivers are asleep. A small cut may be used to inspect the cargo before a larger theft is attempted.
During one shift, a two-officer team checks six parking areas. Officers also look for unusually parked vans, which may be used to remove cartons or pallets quickly.
Fewer incidents but substantially higher losses
At first glance, Brandenburg’s figures suggest an improvement.
Authorities recorded 55 trailer-slashing cases in 2025, compared with 65 in 2024, a decline of about 15%.
Reported losses, however, rose sharply. They increased from just under €10,000 in 2024 to almost €167,000 in 2025. Fewer incidents were therefore recorded, but the goods stolen were considerably more valuable.
Police registered 144 such cases in Brandenburg in 2020. Although the number has since fallen, the threat has not disappeared.
The rise in losses may suggest that offenders are becoming more selective or better prepared, although this is an inference from the figures rather than an assessment confirmed by police.
Just over one-third of cases solved
Of the 55 incidents recorded in Brandenburg in 2025, police solved 20, giving a clearance rate of just over one-third.
Catching offenders during a theft is particularly difficult. Parking areas are large, space between vehicles is limited and a two-person patrol cannot monitor dozens of lorries simultaneously. About 40 lorries were parked at the site visited by rbb24.
Officers also highlighted poor lighting. Darkness makes it easier for offenders to move between trailers, hide beneath vehicles or leave when a patrol car approaches.
Alcohol and clothing stolen from parked vehicles
A series of thefts at motorway parking areas around Berlin in early July illustrated the range of goods being targeted. At the Ladeburger Heide rest area on the A11, offenders entered two trailers while the drivers were asleep. The thefts were discovered at about 03:15.
The previous night, at the Kranichberge parking area on the A10, more than 20 cartons of alcoholic drinks were stolen from one vehicle. Each carton contained six bottles, and losses were estimated in the thousands of euros.
Seven cartons of clothing were taken from another lorry, with losses estimated in the tens of thousands of euros. Police investigated whether the incidents were connected.
Drivers’ belongings are also at risk
Night-time crime is not confined to cargo. Police warn that offenders may also target unsecured cabs. Drivers who leave their doors unlocked during rest periods risk losing documents, cash and personal equipment.
The rbb24 report showed that drivers were particularly concerned about poorly lit parking areas. One driver travelling from Poznań to Dortmund said he had not been targeted himself but had heard of similar incidents from colleagues.
A driver sleeping in the cab may not hear the trailer curtain being cut or cartons being removed. In many cases, the theft is discovered only when the journey resumes.
Lower Saxony records €9 million in losses
A similar pattern has emerged in Lower Saxony, one of Germany’s main transit and logistics regions. Although the number of cargo thefts has fallen, the financial losses have reached a record level.
Goods stolen or damaged in trailer-slashing incidents were valued at about €9 million in 2025, compared with €5.58 million in 2024 and €4.81 million in 2023.
Many incidents occurred along the A2 and A7 near Hanover, where major freight corridors intersect. The area is particularly exposed because of its access to seaports, concentration of distribution centres and high volumes of transit traffic.
The method is similar to that seen in Brandenburg. Offenders first make a small cut in the trailer curtain to inspect the cargo. If they find valuable goods, they attempt to enter the trailer and remove them while the driver is resting.
According to industry representatives, electronics, food, industrial semi-finished products and other high-value goods are particularly vulnerable.
Companies are investing in stronger trailer curtains, surveillance equipment and tracking systems, but these measures do not eliminate the risk. Transport organisations are therefore renewing calls for more guarded and monitored lorry parking areas along major freight corridors.
Secure lorry parking remains in short supply
Night patrols may deter offenders and increase the chances of identifying damaged trailers, but they cannot replace properly secured parking facilities. Strong lighting, controlled access, surveillance and a regular on-site security presence make it more difficult for thieves to approach lorries unnoticed.
The A12 patrol also demonstrates the limits of police supervision. Two officers moving between several locations cannot protect every vehicle throughout the night. Once a patrol leaves, offenders may return.
Figures from Brandenburg and Lower Saxony show a similar pattern: the number of incidents may be falling, but individual thefts are becoming more costly. The consequences extend beyond the value of the stolen cargo. Hauliers may also face vehicle repairs, delivery disruption, downtime and insurance claims.
Without greater secure parking capacity, police patrols and security measures introduced by hauliers can reduce the threat but cannot remove it.
