Top 10 WTF Things People Have Stolen
#10: A Shark
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Stealing a living creature is always tricky, but when it’s one that requires water to survive... that takes some serious burglary skills. In 2008, a rare marble catshark was reported stolen in the UK from the private aquarium of Peter Newman. This female specimen and her mate were estimated to be worth just shy of $100,000 USD at the time - as they were the only known breeding pair in the entire country. Since the culprits only made off with the female however, Newman put her individual value closer to $19-20,000. At two feet in length, this shark wasn’t something the burglar in question could just slip into their coat.
#9: A Whole Bunch of Manhole Covers
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Have you ever tried to lift the cover off a manhole? If you don’t have the right tool, it’s nearly impossible. And even then, it’s one seriously laborious task, since they weigh about 110 lbs each. Catch basin covers are easier to lift, weighing about 40 lbs., but that’s still not a walk in the park. Given the relatively low resale value of these items, the average crook wouldn’t bother with one, let alone 300 of them. But, citing a desperate need for money, that’s roughly how many manhole and catch basin covers Efrain de Leon Barrios and Antonio Lopez stole from the Los Angeles area in the 1990s before being apprehended.
#8: An Inflatable Gorilla
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This one is a real head scratcher. While the potential for resale (be it large or small) was obvious in the previous two entries, we can’t imagine much of a market for a giant blow-up gorilla. It would seem that in this case of grand theft inflatable primate, the criminals in question did it for a laugh. In Simi Valley, California, in 2010, employees at the local Kia dealership came into work to find their 30 foot tall, 350 pound gorilla missing. It was later located at the local high school, prompting police to believe that it was a prank by members of the student body.
#7: Entire ATMs
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Automated teller machines are frequently targeted by criminals, but usually they tamper with the machines in order to steal information from the cards of clients. Apparently however, there are some less tech-savvy burglars who opt instead to take the heavy lifting approach and acquire cold hard cash by making off with the entire ATM. Given that the average machine can hold up to $200,000, that’s a pretty big haul. But the thieves in question will need to bring along some serious muscle, as the machines can weigh several hundred pounds. And as you can probably imagine, it’s rarely what you would call a “smooth operation.”
#6: A Whole Condom Dispenser
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ATMs… we get it - you can never have too much money. But is anybody actually making enough love to justify needing an entire prophylactic dispenser? Unlikely. But clearly the unknown thief who absconded with the condom dispenser from the women’s washroom at Oxnard College in California had BIG ambitions when it came to their personal life. Now, to be fair, they could’ve been after the change that would’ve been in the machine, but that likely wouldn't have been a huge score. Either way, talk about inconveniencing your fellow bathroom patrons.
#5: Bees
Yeah, you heard that right. And we’re not talking about a kid catching a bumblebee in a mason jar and trying to keep it as a pet. We’re talking about a LOT of bees. According to police, Pavel Tveretinov stole nearly a million dollars worth of beehives, complete with bees, over the course of a three year period. You see, bees are crucial pollinators for a wide variety of crops, and their populations are dropping. Looking to corner the California market, this man reportedly stole roughly 2,500 hives and was then renting them out to crop producers. Thankfully, the sticky-fingered man was caught and his bee racket put to a stop.
#4: Tons of Beach Sand
Where’s the beach? It’s a question you might ask the front desk when you arrive at your hotel, but it’s not something you should be able to say when you’re already standing on it. In 2008, police in Jamaica were left scratching their heads when hundreds of tons of sand were removed from the shoreline where a new resort was being built. It’s been estimated that the thieves somehow made off with 500 dump trucks worth of the stuff, and likely sold it to competing resorts - making a tidy profit in the process. Apparently… illegal sand mining is a real problem around the world.
#3: Maple Syrup
Thieves certainly have a taste for the sweet stuff. Unlike with the bees and honey however, maple syrup comes with a significantly lower risk of getting stung. No trip to the province of Quebec, Canada is complete if you haven’t sampled the maple syrup and bought some to bring home. In 2012, though, someone took more than their fair share and neglected to pay. Some $18 million dollars worth of maple syrup was stolen from a warehouse in St-Louis-de-Blandford, where a reserve of the valuable substance was being stored in massive quantities. Thankfully, the culprits were apprehended.
#2: A Patton Tank
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The key to committing the perfect crime, is to go unnoticed - get in, get out and leave no trace behind. Sadly… that’s not possible when the pilfered item in question is a military tank. Fun fact: apparently M60A3 Patton tanks don’t need a key to start. It’s just a push button. And getting the hatch open can be achieved with a crowbar. While taking a tank for a joyride might sound like a good time, this story is anything but humorous. In 1995, army vet Shawn Nelson stole a tank from the United States National Guard Armory in San Diego, California, leading police on a chase that ended tragically. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: 50 Tons of Corn from a Moving Train Gene Kelly's Lamp Post of Choice A Suburban Lawn & Garden Still Full Trash Cans An Eagle
#1: A Bridge
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It might sound like something from “Despicable Me,” but life is often stranger than fiction. Somehow, a group of thieves broke down and removed a 10-ton bridge in Slavkov, Czech Republic, leaving a replacement cost in the millions of dollars behind them. The sneaky thieves knew what they were doing when they arrived to claim the bridge and 650 feet of track as their own - they even had their paperwork in order. The only problem was… the documents were forged. By the time someone realized, the thieves were long gone with their massive scrap metal haul. Turns out this is more common than you’d think - it happened in Turkey too!
