Thousands Of Cans Recovered In Costa Rican Tuna Heist

Nine men, including a minor, have been arrested by Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) in connection with the theft of four containers loaded with tuna products from a customs warehouse in Limón on the country’s Caribbean coast, according to Costa Rican news sites. Authorities recovered 400 boxes containing thousands of canned tuna from two of the stolen containers during an operation that began Tuesday. However, reports did not disclose the brands and it remains unclear whether the other two containers have been recovered. The suspects have been referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further legal proceedings.

According to officials, several suspects were armed and masked when they entered the warehouse on June 30, and subdued security personnel, seized their equipment, and removed the tuna cargo from the facility. Container theft has emerged as a growing threat to cargo transport in Costa Rica. Over the past two years, the OIJ has received more than 330 complaints and identified criminal gangs specializing in such robberies, according to Costa Rican news outlet CR Hoy.