Early Thursday morning, a pallet of tuna was stolen from the refrigerated trailer of a truck parked in front of the Philadelphia Food Distribution Center, authorities said.

Philadelphia police received a call around 3 a.m. about a theft in progress at 3400 S. Lawrence St., a few blocks east of Citizen’s Bank Park in South Philly. The thieves stole the fish while the truck driver was asleep, they said, waiting to unload his load. Security at Samuels Seafood Co., who was accepting the delivery, woke him up to inform him of the crime in progress.

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Between 350 and 400 pounds of tuna were stolen, said John Mackara, director of security for Samuels Seafood. The fish is worth about $10,000, 6ABC reported.

The criminal police are investigating the theft but are not releasing any further information at this time.

According to Mackara, an employee of Samuels Seafood noticed the thieves on his way to work and alerted security guards who were on night shift. As he approached the truck, the thieves fled. Mackara’s team noticed four SUVs – two white, one black and one red.

He suspects the crime is related to other recent food thefts: Earlier this week, Samuels Seafood reported $2,400 worth of salmon stolen from a truck, and in a July robbery in southwest Philadelphia, thieves stole $15,000 worth of beef.

While investigating the beef theft, police also mentioned a suspicious white SUV and a Dodge Durango, telling NBC10 that the theft may be connected to an earlier snow crab theft at a Walmart in Northeast Philadelphia.

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