As food prices rise....

[Cimarron]

So does crime. Crimes dealing with food that is...


Vegetable bandits strike as food prices soar:
The high price of produce, especially for tomatoes after the deep winter freezes, has attracted more than heightened attention from consumers. A ring of sophisticated vegetable bandits was watching, too.

Late last month, a gang of thieves stole six tractor-trailer loads of tomatoes and a truck full of cucumbers from Florida growers. They also stole a truckload of frozen meat. The total value of the illegal haul: about $300,000.

The thieves disappeared with the shipments just after the price of Florida tomatoes skyrocketed after freezes that badly damaged crops in Mexico.

That suddenly made Florida tomatoes a tempting target, on a par with flat-screen TVs or designer jeans, but with a big difference: tomatoes are perishable.

[monkeybird]

Seems like the zombie gangs are beginning to organize. How do you fence that many tomatoes?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Thats crazy stuff and to think the market for stolen produce is already in place prior to a perishable good being taken. That really is a sign of bad times!

[Cimarron]

Seems like the zombie gangs are beginning to organize. How do you fence that many tomatoes?

I don't know. These aren't TV's you can drive around in the heat with, or wait a week for the police action to die down.
This is produce that is not only sensetive to temp's but can damage from extra hauling. These people have had to have this set up allready with a buyer.

[Cimarron]

Thats crazy stuff and to think the market for stolen produce is already in place prior to a perishable good being taken. That really is a sign of bad times!

I agree. Here is something a little closer to you and me Matt.

According to officials at the State *Department of Agriculture, the rising value of cattle is the driving force behind theft. Lingering drought concerns and the high cost of feed have forced some ranchers to downsize their herds in the last couple of years; and when demand at market is higher than what producers can supply, prices rise and cattle become more valuable. The unit’s chief agent, Mike Grimes, says the number of cattle-rustling cases has *increased from 64 in 2006 to 247 in 2010

http://ok-living.com/Cover.php

______________________________

Cattle rustling? Like in the Old West?
Yup. If it has a value it can and will be stolen.
Which in turn usually drives the price up at the market.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I can tell you cattle rustling is way up here on this side for sure. Whats even as bad or worse is that some of the cattle that didnt get taken got stuck in pens with no water and died of heat or were run to the point of unrecoverable injuries and had to be put down so even what they didnt steal has been destroyed. That hurts the ranchers bad both emotionaly and financialy.

[crossbow]

Seems like the zombie gangs are beginning to organize. How do you fence that many tomatoes?

take them to the market in NY and they'll be gone in 1/2 hr all for cash, park the empty truck-trailer in the South bronx and it'll disapear in 1/2 hr.