Cargo thieves continue to clean up in Philadelphia
Cargo thieves in Philadelphia stole more than $20,000 worth of meat while a truck driver slept.
The incident occurred just after 3 a.m. on July 20, with the driver parked for the night behind a Lowe’s Home Improvement store in the Whitman Square Shopping Center.
According to the driver, he awoke when he felt the vehicle shaking. He then observed two masked men unloading boxes from the trailer into two Nissan vehicles parked nearby. The suspects fled the scene before police arrived.
In total, 40 boxes of meat were taken from the trailer. Police recovered eight boxes near the scene. The driver told police the estimated value of the stolen goods was around $22,000.
The heist is the most recent in a string of cargo thefts in Philadelphia over the past year and a half.
In fact, the location of the meat theft was the exact one where another incident occurred this past year. In October, thieves made off with pallets of Red Bull energy drink while a driver slept behind the Lowe’s.
Other cargo thefts to make headlines in the city over that time include:
- Thieves steal $30K in crab legs – leave driver injured – during recent cargo theft
- Bourbon bandits strike in Philadelphia
- Cargo theft problems persist in Philadelphia
- Beef bandits strike in Southwest Philly
- Thieves make off with $10K in tuna
In nearly all reported cases, thieves struck while the driver was parked and asleep.
Officials are urging anyone with information about the most recent incident to contact the Northeast Detectives at 215-686-3153. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling or texting the department’s tip line at 215-686-8477. LL