About half a million dollars’ worth of bourbon vanished from a Philadelphia warehouse during a daring daytime theft, where oblivious staff unwittingly assisted in loading the liquor into the robbers’ vehicle.
Some 10,800 bottles, amounting to 1,800 cases of Noble Oak Bourbon, were taken from the American Supply warehouse between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday in what was described as a “coordinated cargo theft operation,” according to A21 Wine & Spirits and Apogee 21 Holdings, Inc, as reported by NBCPhiladelphia.
The culprits cleverly convinced warehouse employees that they were supposed to fill the truck with the premium bourbon, the report indicated.
In the process, workers overlooked standard security measures, inadvertently allowing the thieves to proceed with their plan, explained Rob Koch, the chief operating officer of Apogee 21 Holdings, Inc.
“We are addressing this as a significant criminal incident and are working closely with law enforcement agencies,” a spokesperson for A21 Wine & Spirits informed the outlet.
“The theft involved a significant quantity of premium bourbon from our newly acquired brand, Noble Oak, and appears to have been executed with knowledge of logistics operations and product movement schedules.”
Koch urged distributors, bars, restaurants, and consumers to remain vigilant, as the stolen bourbon may be resold through unauthorized channels, secondary wholesalers, online marketplaces, or other illegal distribution networks.
“This is one of the largest thefts of bourbon that we’ve seen, especially this year in the region,” Koch told the outlet.
The massive theft has been reported to the Philadelphia Police Department, the FBI, and other agencies.
Apogee 21 Holdings did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.