Theft ring steals $15,000 worth of meat in Philadelphia

Thieves broke into a cargo truck early Tuesday morning, walking away with 200 cases of oxtail, valued at $15,000. Police tell local news organizations that they believe this theft is part of a larger crime ring that has been targeting cargo trucks.

The heist took place sometime around 4:30 a.m. while the driver of the truck was sleeping in the sleeper compartment and was not aware of the theft until police arrived.

Last year, there were roughly 250 cargo truck thefts in the city, which was on par with 2022’s numbers. In the past three weeks, police say, there have been 11 thefts or attempted thefts of cargo. Frozen meat has been the most popular item for thieves to steal. (In April, thieves stole $30,000 worth of snow crab, injuring the driver in the process.) The month prior, cargo thieves stole bourbon and seafood.

Philadelphia investigators say they’re working with state and federal officials to track the thieves—and have made some arrests (though not for the recent beef burglary).

“It’s definitely a crime ring,” Captain Jack Ryan told WPVI. “We’ve made arrests of members of this group. We believe it’s the same group that’s still working — it’s just widespread.”

Meat theft has been an issue for years. In 2022, federal authorities busted a multimillion dollar theft ring that was targeting meatpacking plants in the Midwest that had stolen almost $9 million worth of product. And, on a much smaller scale, two Pennsylvania women were arrested earlier this week on charges of stealing $3,500 in roast beef from the Arby’s where they worked.