Cheese Theft
Updated: Dec 13, 2024
By Joshua Yan Dec. 11, 2024
In early October, criminals in the United Kingdom stole 22 tons of cheddar cheese, worth $389,000. The Metropolitan Police confirmed arresting an unidentified 63-year-old man thought to be involved in the heist on Oct. 30 in London on the charges of fraud by false representation and handling stolen goods.
In what the media is calling the “grate cheese robbery,” perpetrators assumed the identity of a French supermarket chain to make an order in July for 22 tons of Hafod, a rare artisanal form of cheddar. The thieves made the order through Neal’s Yard Dairy, a London cheese retailer.
The cheese reached a Neal’s Yard warehouse in two shipments in September. After Oct. 14, a week after payment was due, the company attempted to contact the supposed buyer but received no response. By that time, all 950 wheels of cheese had already disappeared.
This cartoonish incident is not the first of its kind. According to CBS, Italy’s Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium lost $7 million worth of cheese over a two-year period at the time of its most recent theft in 2016. In 2013, New Jersey police arrested a man for stealing $200,000 worth of Muenster cheese from K&K Cheese.
The recent spike in cheese theft is chiefly due to Western sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine. In response, President Vladimir Putin banned the import of fresh produce from those nations, putting foreign cheese and other produce in high demand in a thriving Russian black market.
“Stealing is only okay when it is necessary for survival. I would understand if the thieves stole lower end food products, but stealing luxury cheese is just a means to profit,” Senior William Nguyen said.
This incident seems like a campfire horror story for cheese farmers, but for those whose careers do not involve any form of dairy, the only lesson to learn is that even a Looney Tunes plot like this one is not absurd enough to exist solely in the realm of fiction.
About the Contributors
Joshua Yan
Staff Writer
I am a Senior and second year writer for the school newspaper. I enjoy playing piano, playing games with friends, and pen spinning.
Dana Lim
Artist
Dana Lim is a Senior at Leland High School and the Charger Account's art director. She loves the creative aspect of art and this is her fourth year in Journalism. She likes listening to music, nights out with friends, and cats.
Comments