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.
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.
