Whiskey Lost and Found

March 1, 2009
PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICAAs the warehousing and distribution center opened for business, the first visitors were 10 armed thieves who proceeded to

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA—As the warehousing and distribution center opened for business, the first visitors were 10 armed thieves who proceeded to make off with more than (US) $1 million worth of Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

After tying up employees, the robbers used a forklift to load one of the company’s eight-ton trucks with the whiskey. Splitting up, one group of robbers fled in the truck, the other took staff members away, it was thought, as hostages.

Since an employee was able to push an emergency button during the course of the robbery, a local security service moved quickly and found the minibus near a shopping center. Meanwhile, a police rapid response unit received a tip about boxes of whiskey sighted at a private house.

Recovered from the lawn of the house and in its garage were the 500 cases of Jack Daniel’s. All told, five suspects were apprehended. As the police were busy at the house, the apparently abducted employees returned to work saying they had been dumped at the side of the road. Police believe otherwise, suspecting they were actually part of the theft.