News (Media Awareness Project) - US CA: Gang Escapes With $1 Million In Cigarettes |
| Title: | US CA: Gang Escapes With $1 Million In Cigarettes |
| Published On: | 1999-04-01 |
| Source: | San Jose Mercury News (CA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-06 09:23:47 |
GANG ESCAPES WITH $1 MILLION IN CIGARETTES
CORONA (AP) -- An armed gang backed a truck up to a warehouse Wednesday and
made off with an estimated $1 million worth of cigarettes, about 780 years'
worth of pack-a-day habits even at today's inflated prices.
It was believed to be the state's biggest cigarette heist since the first of
the year when the price of cigarettes jumped nearly $1 a pack, to about
$3.50.
``We tend to believe they're headed for another state or maybe L.A., where
they'll be sold on the black market,'' said Sgt. Eddie Garcia, a police
spokesman. The smokes, of several brands, would be practically impossible to
trace, he said.
``It sounds like it was pretty well-organized,'' Garcia said.
Four gunmen followed workers through an employee entrance into Allied
Merchandising Inc. about 4:15 a.m., when the warehouse and loading dock were
preparing to open for business, Garcia said.
Wearing hoods over their heads, the robbers bound most of the 15 employees
with tape and forced a few others to drive forklifts, loading the cargo
pallets into a 48-foot trailer, he said.
No one was injured, but the employees were also robbed.
A man who said he was a supervisor at the company refused to discuss the
robbery and ordered a reporter off the property. The company was still
conducting inventory, Garcia said.
The warehouse handles a variety of products besides tobacco, including
sunscreen and fruit.
Police believe the thieves had inside information.
``They knew exactly how much product was going to be there and when to go
in,'' Garcia said.
Investigators also suspect that the four men -- all in their 20s and early
30s -- had accomplices outside, Garcia said.
California cigarette prices soared Jan. 1 thanks to Proposition 10, backed
by filmmaker Rob Reiner and passed by voters in November. It put an
additional 50-cent tax on each pack. Most tobacco companies have also tacked
on about 45 cents a pack to cover billions of dollars worth of health claims
and trial settlements.
Retailers say thefts have jumped this year, although Wednesday's haul was
believed to be the biggest so far.
CORONA (AP) -- An armed gang backed a truck up to a warehouse Wednesday and
made off with an estimated $1 million worth of cigarettes, about 780 years'
worth of pack-a-day habits even at today's inflated prices.
It was believed to be the state's biggest cigarette heist since the first of
the year when the price of cigarettes jumped nearly $1 a pack, to about
$3.50.
``We tend to believe they're headed for another state or maybe L.A., where
they'll be sold on the black market,'' said Sgt. Eddie Garcia, a police
spokesman. The smokes, of several brands, would be practically impossible to
trace, he said.
``It sounds like it was pretty well-organized,'' Garcia said.
Four gunmen followed workers through an employee entrance into Allied
Merchandising Inc. about 4:15 a.m., when the warehouse and loading dock were
preparing to open for business, Garcia said.
Wearing hoods over their heads, the robbers bound most of the 15 employees
with tape and forced a few others to drive forklifts, loading the cargo
pallets into a 48-foot trailer, he said.
No one was injured, but the employees were also robbed.
A man who said he was a supervisor at the company refused to discuss the
robbery and ordered a reporter off the property. The company was still
conducting inventory, Garcia said.
The warehouse handles a variety of products besides tobacco, including
sunscreen and fruit.
Police believe the thieves had inside information.
``They knew exactly how much product was going to be there and when to go
in,'' Garcia said.
Investigators also suspect that the four men -- all in their 20s and early
30s -- had accomplices outside, Garcia said.
California cigarette prices soared Jan. 1 thanks to Proposition 10, backed
by filmmaker Rob Reiner and passed by voters in November. It put an
additional 50-cent tax on each pack. Most tobacco companies have also tacked
on about 45 cents a pack to cover billions of dollars worth of health claims
and trial settlements.
Retailers say thefts have jumped this year, although Wednesday's haul was
believed to be the biggest so far.
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