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Police are investigating after thieves stole more than 3,000 pounds of frozen snow crab from the back of a tractor-trailer in Southwest Philadelphia early Tuesday (October 27) morning. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the driver was asleep inside his truck on Island Avenue when he heard movement just before 4:57 a.m.
The driver looked outside and saw six men removing boxes of seafood from the trailer. The suspects loaded two pallets—each containing 50 boxes of frozen crab—into a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck and a gray Dodge Caravan minivan. Each box weighed 30 pounds, totaling 3,000 pounds of stolen crab legs.
When the driver got out of the cab to confront the group, police said one of the suspects chased him down the street. The men then fled in the Ford F-150 and Dodge Caravan, leaving the rest of the cargo untouched.
Police noted that large cargo thefts involving frozen food have increased in Philadelphia in recent years, with similar heists involving beef and ribs reported in recent months.
The investigation is ongoing and being handled by Southwest Detectives. Authorities have not reported any injuries or arrests at this time.