Thieves have made off with $400,000 worth of oysters, lobsters and crab in three separate heists, police have said.
40,000 full-grown oysters, in cages worth $20,000, were snatched in Falmouth, Maine, on November 22 in Casco Bay.
Maine Marine Patrol Sgt Matthew Sinclair said the situation was ‘devastating’ for a small businessman.
Just weeks later, the thieves struck again in Taunton, Massachusetts, with crab and lobster meat being taken from warehouses and a fraudulent trucking company.
CEO of Rexing Companies, Dylan Rexing, said the thief impersonated a real carrier to get the seafood.
‘They had a spoofed email address. They changed the name on the side of the truck. They made a fake certified driver’s license. It’s a very sophisticated crime,’ he explained.
It’s currently unknown where the seafood ended up, but Rexing has speculated that the lobster is in restaurants.
He added: ‘Whether you eat seafood or not, they’re stealing other items. They’re stealing items to build your cars.
‘They’re stealing items that go into computers. Ultimately, that cost gets thrown to the consumer.’
In November, a woman was caught on CCTV walking off with a box full of shellfish from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chelsea, London.
She was filmed, wearing blue jeans and light-coloured slippers, taking around £200 in langoustines from the porch of Elystan Street.
The mini-lobster-like seafood was intended for a bisque with chilli, spring onions, lemon zest, and garlic, selling for £39 per portion.
The restaurant shared the footage on Instagram to try and identify the woman.
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