A brazen theft recently rocked a small New Jersey town in the United States as a tractor-trailer packed with USD 305,000 worth of frozen shrimp was stolen, leaving local authorities shell-shocked. The stolen vehicle, valued at an additional USD 50,000, had been parked on private property in the industrial part of Middlesex, a town spanning just four square miles. What began as a routine delivery to a Costco in Monroe ended in one of the more unusual seafood capers in recent memory.

A Pre-Dawn Plunder

The incident occurred in the early hours of September 5, when the truck’s owner, who had been renting a parking space in a warehouse area on Smalley Avenue, discovered the trailer missing. Detective Sergeant Sean Flanagan of the Middlesex Borough Police Department confirmed that the theft was reported shortly after 4 a.m. The cargo had been “ready for delivery,” but instead found itself at the center of a police investigation.

“We began investigating immediately,” Flanagan remarked, as authorities sought to unravel how thieves managed to spirit away both the shrimp and the truck in such a daring raid.

Casting a Wide Net

The audacity of the heist has left the town reeling, particularly those familiar with the area. Ubaldo Eras, 42, a former tenant of the Smalley Avenue warehouse, voiced suspicions that the thieves had targeted his friend, the truck’s owner. “I think they followed him,” Eras speculated, suggesting the thieves had meticulously planned their raid.

Meanwhile, police have been casting a wide net, interviewing local fishmongers and scouring video footage in hopes of tracking down the perpetrators. The thieves also reportedly raided four shipping containers in the yard, though nothing else appears to have been taken.

No Small Fry Crime

Despite the quick response from law enforcement, the trail seems to have gone cold for now. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the whereabouts of the shrimp remain unknown. The thieves, described as “krill seekers” by investigators, have vanished without a trace, leaving behind only questions and an empty parking lot.