In a recent interview with The Boston Globe, Dr. Yossi Sheffi, Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, highlighted how a string of New England seafood thefts, including the disappearance of a $400,000 shipment of lobster, reflects a growing vulnerability in modern supply chains. According to Sheffi, cargo theft has evolved from physical break-ins to highly sophisticated, digital impersonation schemes that exploit trust within logistics networks.
Seafood, Sheffi noted, is a particularly attractive target. Unlike electronics or other serialized products, fresh seafood is difficult to trace and must be sold and consumed quickly, meaning stolen goods can disappear into the market almost immediately. “People are just going to eat it, so it’s going to go away,” Sheffi explained.