Salmon swindlers allegedly net 250 tonnes of fish from Sydney plant
Five people have been charged over the theft of 250 tonnes of salmon, worth about $4 million, from a farming and processing plant in Sydney's south-west.
The salmon was stolen from the facility in Ingleburn between June and December last year.
About 250 tonnes of salmon were stolen from a processing plant in Sydney.Credit:Getty
The theft was discovered after an internal audit at the plant found about 600 kilograms of salmon was unaccounted for every day.
Over the six-month period, more than 250 tonnes of salmon were stolen.
The company's executive contacted police about the possible co-ordinated criminal conduct of employees.
After speaking to a number of staff last month, officers identified two female employees, aged 30 and 31, who were allegedly involved.
They were issued with Future Court Attendance Notices for larceny as clerk or servant and are both due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on February 22.
After further investigation, officers arrested two male employees on December 23.
A 32-year-old Minto man was charged with stealing property as a clerk or servant ($5000-$15,000).
A 49-year-old Cabramatta man was charged with stealing property as a clerk or servant (more than $15,000).
Both men were granted strict conditional bail and are due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Monday.
Police then arrested a third man, aged 30, from Belmore, on the same day after he arrived in Sydney from Perth. He was charged with stealing property as a clerk or servant (more than $15,000).
He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on February 1.
Police will allege the five used their roles in the company to falsely grade premium salmon products as waste and remove it from the plant for sale or to trade it for other products.
All five people have been fired from the company.
Pallavi Singhal is a data journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald