TAUNTON, MA - A massive shipment of live lobsters, totaling $400,000, that were bound for Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota was reportedly hijacked before delivery.
Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, said that the shipment was picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts, but never reached its designated destination, FOX32 reported. He said the alleged theft appears to be part of an organized cargo theft ring targeting high-value goods.
"This is a huge issue across the country," Rexing said. "It directly impacts businesses and contributes to higher prices for consumers." The loss is significant for his Evansville-based company, which employs more than 100 people, and is affecting hiring plans and employee bonuses.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively investigating the theft, though no arrests have been announced. Local and federal law enforcement agencies, including FBI field offices in Chicago and Minneapolis, are coordinating on leads, PEOPLE reported.
Rexing said that the police noted a similar seafood shipment was stolen from the same Massachusetts facility earlier this month. The lobster hijacking has drawn attention to a broader trend of cargo theft that federal authorities say costs U.S. businesses tens of billions of dollars annually.
Earlier this year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an initiative called Operation Boiling Point aimed at dismantling organized theft groups that target cargo and retail supply chains.
According to HSI, the operation tackles a wide array of crimes linked to Organized Theft Groups (OTG), including organized retail crime, cargo theft, and large-scale freight hijackings. The goal of Operation Boiling Point is to enhance information sharing, build stronger relationships between federal, state, and private players, and disrupt the financial networks that allow OTGs to profit from stolen goods.
These thefts can affect goods at any point in the supply chain and drain the economy of an estimated $15 to $35 billion each year. Industry experts said thefts targeting items like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and even seafood have grown more brazen, with some criminal networks linked to broader illicit activity, including narcotics trafficking and counterfeiting.
As federal authorities continue their investigation into the lobster heist, retailers and shippers alike are warning that without improved enforcement and industry collaboration, similar losses will keep driving costs higher and supply chains more vulnerable.
Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, said that the shipment was picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts, but never reached its designated destination, FOX32 reported. He said the alleged theft appears to be part of an organized cargo theft ring targeting high-value goods.
"This is a huge issue across the country," Rexing said. "It directly impacts businesses and contributes to higher prices for consumers." The loss is significant for his Evansville-based company, which employs more than 100 people, and is affecting hiring plans and employee bonuses.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is actively investigating the theft, though no arrests have been announced. Local and federal law enforcement agencies, including FBI field offices in Chicago and Minneapolis, are coordinating on leads, PEOPLE reported.
Rexing said that the police noted a similar seafood shipment was stolen from the same Massachusetts facility earlier this month. The lobster hijacking has drawn attention to a broader trend of cargo theft that federal authorities say costs U.S. businesses tens of billions of dollars annually.
Earlier this year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an initiative called Operation Boiling Point aimed at dismantling organized theft groups that target cargo and retail supply chains.
According to HSI, the operation tackles a wide array of crimes linked to Organized Theft Groups (OTG), including organized retail crime, cargo theft, and large-scale freight hijackings. The goal of Operation Boiling Point is to enhance information sharing, build stronger relationships between federal, state, and private players, and disrupt the financial networks that allow OTGs to profit from stolen goods.
These thefts can affect goods at any point in the supply chain and drain the economy of an estimated $15 to $35 billion each year. Industry experts said thefts targeting items like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and even seafood have grown more brazen, with some criminal networks linked to broader illicit activity, including narcotics trafficking and counterfeiting.
As federal authorities continue their investigation into the lobster heist, retailers and shippers alike are warning that without improved enforcement and industry collaboration, similar losses will keep driving costs higher and supply chains more vulnerable.
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