Cargo theft report puts pharma in 10th place

The National Insurance Crime Bureau counts 36 pharm cargo thefts in 2010. It breaks them into three categories: pharmaceuticals (29), controlled pharmaceuticals (5) and OTC drugs (2).

Electronics topped the list at 139 cargo thefts. Pharma finished in the 10, 15 and 18 spots of 19 commodity categories, but we can make the case for seventh overall by combining the three drug categories. NICB tallies 747 cargo thefts overall in 2010; it estimates the value at $171 million.

NICB is a not-for-profit  group targeting insurance fraud and vehicle theft.

Despite its poor showing in the number of thefts, pharma likely places near the top in per-incident value, which the NICB did not disclose in its report. Freightwatch bestowed the number 1 spot to pharma in that category last January, at $3.8 million average, in its annual tally.

Of course, that first-place ranking may be in jeopardy in Freightwatch's 2011 calculation. In a heist reported earlier this week, a stolen truck was carrying generics, and the truckload value was $66,000.

- see the NICB release