A string of unusual seafood thefts has rattled parts of New England, with thieves making off with tens of thousands of oysters, large quantities of lobster, and valuable crabmeat within a matter of weeks. The incidents, which authorities believe may be linked to organised cargo theft, have caused significant financial losses and raised concerns across the seafood and logistics industries.
The first incident took place on November 22 in Falmouth, Maine, where officials believe thieves targeted an aquaculture site in Casco Bay. According to the Maine Marine Patrol, 14 cages filled with oysters were stolen overnight. Many of the oysters were fully grown and ready to be sold, making the loss especially damaging for the business owner. Including the cages themselves, the stolen seafood was valued at approximately $20,000. Marine Patrol Sergeant Matthew Sinclair described the incident as devastating, noting that such a loss can be particularly harmful for a small-scale operator who relies on seasonal harvests for income.
The next two thefts occurred in Taunton, Massachusetts, roughly 160 miles away, and involved much larger sums of money. On December 2, a shipment of crab disappeared after leaving a Lineage Logistics warehouse. Less than two weeks later, on December 12, a much larger haul of lobster meat was stolen under even more elaborate circumstances. The lobster was bound for Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota when it was picked up by what appeared to be a legitimate trucking company. However, investigators later determined that the carrier was fraudulent.
Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, which arranged the transport, said the theft was highly sophisticated. According to him, the criminals impersonated a real trucking firm, used a spoofed email address, altered the company name on the truck, and even presented a fake commercial driver’s license. “It’s a very sophisticated crime,” Rexing said, adding that the deception was convincing enough to bypass standard checks.
Although Lineage Logistics, Costco, and local police declined to comment publicly, Rexing said investigators informed him that the stolen crab shipment had also originated from the same warehouse. He noted that cargo theft of this nature has been an ongoing issue for more than a decade, but has become far more frequent and organized in recent years. “It happens every day, multiple times a day,” he said, pointing to a growing trend of coordinated thefts targeting high-value goods.
Chris Burroughs, president and CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association, explained that such crimes usually fall into two categories. The first involves criminals posing as legitimate carriers, as seen in the lobster case. The second, known as strategic theft, involves cyber fraud, where criminals use phishing or hacked systems to divert payments or shipments without physically stealing goods. He warned that the problem is escalating rapidly and requires urgent attention from law enforcement and the logistics industry alike.
Because seafood has a short shelf life, experts believe the stolen lobster was likely sold quickly to restaurants or other buyers before it could be traced. While some may joke about stolen seafood ending up on dinner plates, Rexing stressed that the consequences go far beyond seafood lovers. He explained that cargo theft affects all consumers because stolen goods drive up insurance costs, disrupt supply chains, and ultimately raise prices across industries.
“Whether you eat seafood or not, these criminals are stealing all kinds of goods,” he said. “They’re stealing parts used in cars, electronics, and other essentials. In the end, those losses are passed on to everyday consumers.”
