Just over half of a million frozen shrimp worth more than $300,000 were stolen, along with the truck they were being transported on, from a New Jersey industrial lot, according to police.
Surveillance video shows the alleged thief drive off with the seafood cargo from the lot on Smalley Avenue in Middlesex during the late morning of Sept. 5. It was not immediately known if the thieves knew what they were stealing, or if it was a random choice.
“It’s only me and my truck, now I don’t have a job for a week. I’ve tried to make applications, I need to keep waiting,” said the owner of the truck, who did not wish to be identified with the alleged thieves still at large.
The shrimp were supposed to be delivered to a Costco store in Monroe Township, but never made it there. Police are still trying to figure out how the thieves could even profit from the heist, or how they could convince someone to buy $300,000 worth of shrimp on short notice.
In total, the shrimp is believed to weigh close to 25,000 pounds — tough cargo to hide, and very much at risk of spoiling and becoming worthless fairly quick.
“We see everything. It’s not like anything surprises us,” said Middlesex Police Det. Sgt. Sean Flanagan. “It’s part of it, we see weird crimes reported.”
Police said the truck thieves also opened four other trailers at the industrial lot in the first week of September, but didn’t steal any of their contents, instead opting to steal the shrimp truck.
Anyone with information regarding the heist is asked to contact Middlesex police.
