Picture a buffet of seafood.
Recently in New England, a series of thefts has left businesses reeling. A staggering 40,000 oysters, along with $400,000 in lobsters, and a significant amount of crabmeat, disappeared in different incidents over just a few weeks.
The first incident occurred on November 22 in Falmouth, Maine, where authorities believe someone took 14 cages filled with mature oysters from an aquaculture farm in Casco Bay. The total value of the stolen oysters and equipment reached around $20,000, as reported by the Maine Marine Patrol.
“This is a devastating situation for small businesses,” stated Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew Sinclair.
About 160 miles away, in Taunton, Massachusetts, two additional thefts unfolded. Initially, a significant quantity of crabs vanished after being stored at the Lineage Logistics warehouse on December 2. Then, a fraudulent trucking company stole lobster meat intended for Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota on December 12, according to the broker who coordinated the pickup.
“The carrier we hired impersonated a real trucking company,” said Dylan Lexing, CEO of Lexing Companies. “They used fake email addresses, altered the truck’s branding, and even created bogus certified driver’s licenses. This is a very sophisticated crime.”
Neither Lineage Logistics, Costco, nor the Taunton Police Department commented on the situation, but Lexing mentioned that police had informed her of other crab thefts from the same warehouse.
Lexing pointed out that cargo theft has been an ongoing issue for over a decade but has escalated recently. “It occurs daily—multiple times even,” he added.
According to Chris Burrows, president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, cargo theft typically falls into two categories. The lobster theft is an example of the first type, where criminals pretend to be a legitimate trucking company. The second type involves strategic theft, often using phishing emails to infiltrate computer systems and secure goods without physically stealing them.
“This is a large and growing problem that needs to be addressed,” Burrows remarked.
Due to their limited shelf life, it’s likely that the stolen lobsters will end up in restaurants. Lexing mentioned a certain irony in the thefts, noting that while the thieves could steal accompaniments like butter, these crimes ultimately hurt consumers. “Whether or not you eat seafood, they’re stealing essential items that go into cars and computers. Eventually, the costs will fall back on the consumer,” he said.
