Be on the lookout

Passed on by a friend. I guess Tampa beer drinkers really love their Mexican imports...


$70,000 worth of beerstolen
Updated: Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 10:58 PM EDTPublished : Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 1:32 PM EDT
Peter Linton-Smith
TAMPA - To some, it's the making of a joke: "what would you do with a truck loaded with beer?"
But for Hillsborough County fire investigators, the theft of two trucks loaded with Corona and Modela beer is no laughing mater.
"You've got thousands of bottles of beer," said sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.
An estimated $70,000 worth of beer was taken sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning from K&N Trucking on East Adamo Drive in Tampa. The beer shipment originated in Lakeland and was due to be delivered in Naples Wednesday.
Since the theft, K&N Trucking is stepping up security.
"Put it this way, this will never happen again," operations manager Tobias Platts said.
"We are in the process of informing all of our drivers of the changes, and one thing, make them aware and vigilant about their surroundings," Platts said.
There have been a few jokes at the truck depot.
"When are the limes due in," Platts laughed.
Platts, like detectives, though, is taking the theft seriously.
"The organized effort of these thefts is for real, that's why we take it seriously," Callaway said. "Whether it goes to a port or stays locally and gets 'boot legged' and out on the black market, it just vanishes."
Tuesday evening, two of the cabs that were stolen were recovered along West Martin Luther King Blvd. in Tampa. The trailers and beer are still missing.
The trailers are described as a white Lufkin model cargo trailer and a white Wabash trailer, none of which had any markings on the exterior.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.