Thieves swiped 1.5 tons of frozen snow crab Tuesday morning from a tractor trailer that was parked near Philadelphia International Airport, authorities said.
Just before 2 a.m., the driver parked his truck on the 3400 block of Island Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia and took a nap while waiting to deliver the crabs to a nearby seafood wholesaler, said Police Captain Joseph Busa, commander of the PPD’s Southwest Detective Division.
Investigators said he was stirred awake just after 3:30 a.m. and saw six masked men removing cases of crab from the back of his trailer. He confronted the suspects and they fled the scene in multiple vehicles, including a gray Ford F-150 and a gray Dodge Caravan, Busa told reporters.
Law enforcement officials say the men got away with two 50-box pallets, weighing a combined total of around 3,000 pounds.
Busa said it was “too early” to say if the heist is connected to other recent cargo thefts that have been reported in Philadelphia.
No arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Anyone with information can call or text the PPD tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477). Information can be shared anonymously.
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