The initial disappearance of seafood occurred on November 22 in Falmouth, Maine, where officials believe 14 oyster cages were stolen from an aquaculture location in Casco Bay.

These oysters, many of which were mature and market-ready, along with their cages, held an estimated value of $20,000 USD (approximately $29,855 AUD), as reported by the Maine Marine Patrol.

“This is a crushing blow for a small business owner,” remarked Marine Patrol Sergeant Matthew Sinclair.

Subsequent incidents took place in Taunton, Massachusetts, roughly 255 kilometers away. On December 2, a shipment of crab vanished after departing from the Lineage Logistics warehouse.

Later, on December 12, a load of lobster meat intended for Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota was stolen by a bogus trucking company, according to the broker who organized the logistics.

“The carrier we hired impersonated a real carrier,” Dylan Rexing, CEO of Rexing Companies, said Tuesday.

“They had a spoofed email address. They changed the name on the side of the truck. The made a fake certified driver’s license. It’s a very sophisticated crime.”

Lineage Logistics, Costco and Taunton Police did not respond to requests for comment, but Rexing said police told him about the crab theft from the same warehouse.

That kind of cargo theft has been a problem for over a decade, he said, but has gotten worse in recent years.

“It happens every day, multiple times a day,” he said.

Freight theft generally falls into two categories, said Chris Burroughs, president and CEO of Transportation Intermediaries Association, a trade organisation for the freight brokerage industry.

The lobster heist fits in the first type, which involves someone impersonating a legitimate trucking company. The second type, known as strategic theft, often involves using phishing emails to gain access to computer systems and get paid without actually stealing the product.

“This is a massive growing problem that needs to get addressed,” he said.

Given its short shelf life, the stolen lobster likely ended up restaurants, both said. And while he’s seen plenty of quips about stealing butter to go with the lobster, Rexing said such thefts ultimately harm consumers.

“Whether you eat seafood or not, they’re stealing other items. They’re stealing items to build your cars. They’re stealing items that go into computers,” he said.

“Ultimately, that cost gets thrown to the consumer.”