Oysters vanish, crab goes missing, and $400,000 in lobster meat disappear from this country. Check details

A shocking series of seafood thefts has left fishermen, businesses, and police scrambling for answers. In just a few weeks, tens of thousands of oysters, valuable lobster meat, and a large amount of crab have disappeared, pointing to a growing and well-planned crime trend.

The first theft happened on November 22 at an oyster farm in Falmouth, Maine. Thieves took 14 cages filled with oysters from Casco Bay. Many of the oysters were fully grown and ready to sell. Officials estimate the loss, including the cages, at around $20,000. Marine Patrol Sgt. Matthew Sinclair said the impact is severe. “This is devastating for a small business owner,” he said.

Warehouse losses add to the mystery

Not long after, two more thefts were reported in Taunton, Massachusetts, about 160 miles away.

On December 2, a shipment of crab meat went missing after leaving a cold-storage warehouse. Just ten days later, lobster meat meant for store shelves in the Midwest vanished as well. According to the freight broker who handled the lobster shipment, the thieves posed as a real trucking company.

“They copied a real company, used fake emails, changed the truck’s name, and even showed a fake certified driver’s license,” said Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies. “This was very sophisticated.” Police later told Rexing that the crab theft came from the same warehouse.

Cargo theft on the rise

Experts say this kind of crime has been growing for years and is now happening more often than ever.

“There are thefts every day, sometimes multiple times a day,” Rexing said. Chris Burroughs, head of a major freight industry group, explained that criminals usually use one of two methods: pretending to be real trucking companies or hacking systems to get paid without delivering goods.

“This is a fast-growing problem that needs serious attention,” he said.

Because seafood spoils quickly, the stolen lobster likely ended up in restaurants. While some people joke about “free lobster with butter,” Rexing warned that the real cost hits everyone. “These thieves don’t just steal food,” he said. “They steal parts for cars, computers, and more. In the end, consumers pay higher prices.”