Three instances of seafood theft in the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania have recently resulted in the pilfering of at least USD 350,000 (EUR 316,000) worth of product.
On 12 September, thieves stole a truck from a warehouse in Middlesex, New Jersey, Middlesex Police Department Detective Sergeant Sean Flanagan told SeafoodSource. The vehicle, containing USD 305,000 (EUR 275,000) worth of shrimp, was bound for a Costco in Monroe, New Jersey. The reported value of the stolen tractor-trailer was USD 50,000 (EUR 45,100), bringing the total loss to USD 355,000 (EUR 320,000).
The load of seafood was eventually picked up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Flanagan said that releasing any additional information on the seafood supplier or wholesaler may interfere with the investigation but noted that the department is “actively investigating any and all leads.”
Farther south, thieves stole an estimated USD 42,000 (EUR 38,000) worth of crab from a parked tractor-trailer on 4 September in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to a Philadelphia Police Department report.
“A 49-year-old male reported to police that while he was asleep inside his tractor-trailer, he felt movements coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon checking, he observed approximately six males stealing boxes of crabmeat,” the report stated.
The seafood supplier and the buyer of the stolen crabmeat were not disclosed in the report.
About a month prior, on 8 August, one pallet of tuna with an unknown value was stolen from a parked tractor-trailer, according to a separate Philadelphia Police Department report. Again, no information on the seafood supplier or customer was provided.
The three seafood heists are just the latest in an uptick in criminal activities affecting the logistics and transportation sector, according to Jersey City, New Jersey-based cargo theft prevention and recovery organization CargoNet.
“In the first quarter of 2024, criminal activities impacting the logistics and transportation industry reached new highs, even amid the sustained crime wave that began in late 2022. CargoNet documented a staggering 925 incidents, marking a substantial 46 percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2023 and a concerning 10 percent rise from the fourth quarter of 2023,” CargoNet said in its Q1 2024 supply chain risk trends analysis.
