"Operation Beef Bandit": Four Thieves Caught In Multi-Million Dollar Chain Of Food Heists Spanning 3 Years

A ring of food thieves along the Jersey Turnpike has been caught and brought to justice this week.

The suspects are all from Philadelphia, according to the Philly Voice, who reported that they "face multiple counts of conspiracy, criminal mischief, burglary and possession of stolen goods". 

The four people are connected to millions of dollars worth of thefts over the last three years and the arrests come at the end of a two month operation called "Operation Beef Bandit" (we swear we are not making this up). 

The thefts were taking place at service areas on the NJ Turnpike and included stealing meat, alcohol and seafood.

The Voice report says that early Friday, state troopers spotted two suspicious vehicles at the Molly Pitcher Service Area and four suspects tried to steal meat from a parked tractor trailer.

Police quickly arrested one suspect and, after a brief chase, another. Two others fled in a stolen car, crashing into a police car and two patrol vehicles before being caught.

Three troopers suffered minor injuries, with one treated and released from the hospital, the Voice report concluded. 

New Jersey State Trooper Sgt. Charles Marchan did not confirm if the suspects were linked to recent cargo thefts in South Philadelphia, which we have written about here on Zero Hedge.

Recall, in August, 350-400 pounds of tuna were stolen from a refrigerated truck at Samuels Seafood Co. In September, masked men took three pallets of seafood from Seventh Street and Packer Avenue. Earlier in the year, police reported thefts of snow crab, beef, salmon, and bourbon and last year thieves also stole 2 million dimes worth $200,000 from a truck parked at a Philadelphia Walmart.