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Украденные в Британии 22 тонны сыра списали на «русскую мафию»
Russia blamed for missing cheese
Highly valuable cheese vanished from British warehouse
Police unsure if cheese was stolen to order or not
(London) – British police are investigating the theft of 22 tons of cheese from a warehouse in the central English county of Staffordshire. The cheese, which was worth an estimated £400,000 ($526,000, 483,000 euros), was stolen sometime between 7 and 10 February, police said yesterday. The stolen dairy products included 15 tons of cheddar, three tons of Red Leicester, and four tons of Double Gloucester, according to the firm behind the cheese, Wyke Farms.
Investigators clueless on the motive
“This is an extremely unusual theft,” said Detective Inspector Paul Cooke, who is leading the investigation. “We are still trying to establish whether the cheese was stolen to order or if it was a random theft.” Cooke said the stolen cheese was “high-value” and would not have been easy to sell on the black market. “It is more likely that this cheese was stolen to order,” he said. “We are appealing to anyone who may have information about the theft to come forward.” The theft of the cheese has caused a great deal of concern in the British cheese industry. “This is a very serious theft,” said Robert Wiseman, the chairman of the British Cheese Board. “Cheese is a valuable commodity, and this theft will have a significant impact on the industry.” Wiseman said the theft was a “wake-up call” for the cheese industry. “We need to do more to protect our cheese from theft,” he said. Wyke Farms said it was “devastated” by the theft. “This is a huge loss for us,” said Wyke Farms Managing Director Richard Clothier. “We are working with the police to try and recover the stolen cheese.” The theft of the cheese comes at a time when the British cheese industry is facing a number of challenges, including rising costs and Brexit. The British cheese industry is worth an estimated £3 billion ($3.9 billion, 3.6 billion euros) a year.
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