Workshop on “Fraud and Thefts from Containers”

Thursday, 31 May 2012, 10.00 am

In the framework of its upcoming World Recycling Convention & Exhibition in Rome at the Rome Cavalieri Hotel, the Bureau of International Recycling, upon the initiative of its International Trade Council (ITC), is organising a workshop on an extremely topical subject: fraud and thefts from containers.

BIR members have been aware of this problem for quite some time now and some of them have already been victims of either thefts or fraud, as became obvious from a questionnaire that BIR sent to its members in March 2012.

The answers to this questionnaire revealed that an alarming frequency of fraud and theft had become part of the daily dealings of many companies.

The ITC, under the chairmanship of Robert Voss of Voss International (UK), invited a number of experts and industry representatives, who will express their views on different aspects of this recent phenomenon affecting the international trade of recyclables:

• Gert Van der Have, former trade journalist and currently project consultant at ARN Advisory, a spin-off of Dutch ELV monitoring body Auto Recycling Nederlands, which as set up by importers and dismantlers to reach a recycling rate of 95% for a vehicle. Mr Van der Have will be presenting a direct insight into a specific case of major fraud within our industry;

• Pottengal Mukandan, Senior Director of the International Maritime Bureau, which is a department of the International Chamber of Commerce specialised in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and in protecting the crews of ocean-going vessels. Captain Mukundan will talk about fraud and theft, more specifically from containers.

• Marc Beerlandt, CEO of MSC Belgium, a privately-owned container shipping line and one of the leading global carriers of the world. Mr Beerland will give insight into the tracking of containers and offer advice on possible theft prevention;

• Muzammil Gadawala of BIR member company Ala Metals LLC, a UAE based international trading company mainly involved in exporting non ferrous and ferrous metal scraps across the globe. Mr Gadawala will present an interesting case study on theft.

Each speaker will briefly introduce his subject and an ensuing panel discussion will give speakers and audience alike the possibility of commenting and asking questions.