New Jersey’s ‘Operation Beef Bandit’ leads to four arrests

Police in New Jersey have arrested four men believed to be connected to a cargo theft ring responsible for crimes in multiple states.

On Friday, Sept. 13, New Jersey State Police arrested Shaun Coleman, 23, Salahudin Reddy, 37, Hanif Tucker, 31, and Rashan Clark-Reddy, 26, all of Philadelphia, during an attempted burglary at the Molly Pitcher Service Area on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Officers said they observed the four men at the service area “working in coordination to burglarize a parked, occupied tractor-trailer, stealing boxes containing meat.” During the arrest, two of the suspects – Salahudin Reddy and Rashan Clark-Reddy – “intentionally” rammed an occupied, unmarked police car as they attempted to flee in a stolen vehicle.

The four men are facing numerous charges as a result of the incident, including receiving stolen property, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy to commit cargo theft and criminal mischief.

The arrests follow a two-month investigation by the New Jersey State Police Troop D Criminal Investigations Office tabbed “Operation Beef Bandit.” The investigation targeted an organized cargo theft operation that officials said was “responsible for a series of nine burglaries at service areas along the New Jersey Turnpike.”

“These incidents involved break-ins to parked and often occupied trailers, with the suspects stealing high-value goods such as meat, alcohol and seafood,” New Jersey State Police said in a statement. “This crew has been connected to similar thefts over the past three years across the tri-state area, amassing millions of dollars in stolen merchandise during that time.”

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone with information regarding these cargo thefts – or similar thefts – to contact the New Jersey State Police Troop D Moorestown Station Detective Bureau at 732-522-4295, ext. 3226. Tips can remain anonymous.

Investigators believe the organized cargo theft ring could be connected to a rash of thefts in Philadelphia over the past year. In those incidents, thieves used similar methods – targeting high-value loads of meat and seafood from tractor-trailers parked overnight.

In July, Philadelphia police said the city’s recent spike in cargo theft was “definitely a crime ring” at work and that they’d been working with “federal and other state partners” to end the spree. LL