PBR offering reward after thieves make off with $70K in beer
Another company seems to be trying to make the best of a bad situation when it comes to a recent cargo theft.
On Friday, Aug. 28, the Montclair Police Department shared details of an ongoing investigation into a pair of cargo theft events that took place at the Anheuser-Busch distribution center in Montclair, Calif.
According to police, the first incident happened around 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 17, when a shipment of product destined for Tucson, Ariz. Was picked up for delivery but never reached its destination. The shipment was valued at roughly $45,000.
Approximately one hour later, the second theft occurred when a load of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products valued at roughly $25,000 was picked up by a “purported subcontracting company” that submitted fraudulent documents to receive the shipment.
Officials said they believe the two incidents may be connected.
“Investigators identified similarities between the two incidents and are investigating whether they were committed as part of the same fraudulent cargo-theft operation,” the Montclair Police Department said in a Facebook post. “Information provided regarding the trucking company, driver, and vehicles involved contained discrepancies and is currently being investigated.”
Since the cargo theft, the company has taken matters into its own hands – taking to social media to enlist help in finding the stolen beer.
“To the thief: we don’t fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have, we just wish you obtained it the honorable way,” the company wrote in an Instagram post. “Pabst is officially starting the clock now – you have exactly 18 days and 44 minutes to return our truckload of beer, no questions asked.”
Despite the playful tone, Pabst added that “this is real and we are deadly serious,” to help drive home the point. The company said it would be offering a reward to anyone who could help crack the case.
“We’ve had a great response so far,” Paul Meyers, Pabst’s senior director of integration marketing, told the Los Angeles Times. “But, yes, we do want the beer back and eventually doing what it’s meant to be doing, being consumed.”
The investigation remains active. Police have not identified any suspects or announced any arrests in connection with the thefts.
Anyone with information about the incidents, vehicles, driver, delivery company or missing cargo is urged to contact the Montclair Police Department at 909-621-4771.
This wouldn’t be the first time a company turned to social media to solve a cargo theft. In March, KitKat enlisted the help of social media after 12 tons of candy were stolen while in transit across Europe.
That plea for help would go viral, with the company launching a “Stolen KitKat Tracker” that allowed customers to enter batch codes from wrappers to identify stolen product. While the social media posts would garner plenty of attention, ultimately the stolen product still has not been recovered. LL