Meat heist

By Callan Date
CARNIVOROUS thieves stole $80,000 of meat and a refrigerated truck from a Kooweerup abattoir on Sunday night.
The robbers broke into the Kooweerup Abattoirs and Wholesale Butchers office about 10.30pm and fleshed out the truck keys before locating the vehicle laden with beef carcasses.
The white Nissan UD Rigid Box refrigerated truck was fully loaded with meat ready for the next day of deliveries across Melbourne.
Abattoir owner Roger Gwynne said the meat would be little use to anyone unfamiliar with how to prepare it.
He said it would need to be taken to a boning room or butcher shop to be properly cut for consumption.
“The meat that was stolen would be worth about $80,000 in a butcher shop,” Mr Gwynne said.
He said the meat would go to waste if they didn’t find the truck before yesterday (Tuesday) and refrigerate it immediately.
“The chances are they won’t have the fridge running so the meat will go off,” the frustrated owner said.
Mr Gwynne, who also doubles as Ellinbank and District Football League president, said he thought the contents of his truck were insured but was told only the $200,000 vehicle was covered under the policy.
“The cost of the meat to me is about $40,000 so if we don’t get the truck and the meat back in time I’m out of pocket that much,” Mr Gwynne said.
The Prestons Road abattoirs has been operating for more than 80 years and Mr Gwynne said it was the first time he could remember anything like this happening.
“We have had the business for three years and it has put me and my business partner under a lot of pressure. I’m pretty cut up about it all at the moment.”
Anyone who has seen the white Nissan truck (registration number THH 772) is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.