Four In Custody After Operation Beef Bandit
Four men have been taken into custody in connection with an alleged meat cargo theft ring that has operated on the East Coast for several years.
The arrests occurred early on Friday, September 13th, at the Molly Pitcher Service Area on the southbound New Jersey Turnpike in Cranbury, New Jersey, as part of "Operation Beef Bandit," organized by the New Jersey State Police.
According to NJ News, state troopers and investigators were monitoring tractor trailers at the rest area when they observed the four men attempting to break into a parked semi truck, with the driver resting inside, to steal its load of meat.
Authorities believe the men are responsible for a series of nine cargo thefts involving meat, seafood, and alcohol from semi trucks along the New Jersey Turnpike over the past three years.