Claws off! Shipment of $400K price of lobsters is hijacked en path to Costco shops | EUROtoday

The weird theft of a truck crammed with $400,000 price of stay lobsters heading to Costco shops could also be half of a bigger heist ring, authorities say.

The lobsters had been sure for Costco places in Illinois and Minnesota, however thieves hijacked the truck earlier than it may make its deliveries, in response to Fox Business.

Dylan Rexing, the CEO of Indiana-based logistics enterprise Rexing Companies, advised WFLD the cargo was picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts, however then disappeared. His firm was transporting the lobsters.

Rexing stated the heist could also be a part of an organized cargo theft ring that has been focusing on high-value merchandise.

“This is a huge issue across the country,” Rexing advised WFLD. “It directly impacts businesses and contributes to higher prices for consumers.”

Rexing stated dropping $400,000 price of product goes to power him to forgo hiring for a stretch and also will have an effect on bonuses he hoped to pay his staff.

The FBI is investigating the theft, however no arrests have been introduced.

Homeland Security Investigations introduced earlier this yr that it will try and crack down on retail crime. Through it is “Operation Boiling Point,” investigators hopes to chop down on the cargo thefts, which may account for between $15 to $35 billion in annual losses for corporations.

According to federal authorities, the theft teams are organized and sometimes goal cargo ports of entry, truck stops, freight trains and different spots within the provide chain the place they’ll achieve entry to items whereas in transit.

The company stated that the people stealing from cargo haulers will not be instantly linked to teams that steal instantly from retail shops, however stated they could be linked “to common fences or fencers that are purchasing stolen goods.”

The thefts have caught the eye of the Department of Transportation as properly. In September, the company requested info from regulation enforcement, transportation companies, freight carriers and different specialists on the way it can higher defend U.S. cargo from theft.

“Cargo theft is a growing concern for the U.S. transportation system, costing the economy billions annually. These crimes involve opportunistic ‘straight thefts’ of trailers, containers, and loads at truck stops or multimodal distribution hubs and highly coordinated operations conducted by organized criminal networks,” the DOT stated in its request. “Both categories create significant economic losses, disrupt supply chains, and in some cases fund broader illicit activities such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting, and human smuggling.”