Bring home the wagyu: Man allegedly steals $12,000 worth of meat more than 27 times

In a twist that might surprise some, a man accused of stealing a staggering $12,000 worth of meat from a South Australian supermarket has found an unexpected group of supporters among the public.

The man, caught on CCTV filling his cooler bag with premium cuts, including Wagyu beef, at a Drakes supermarket, has sparked a debate that goes beyond the act of theft itself.



The footage showed the man, clad in a bright orange hi-vis jacket, nonchalantly placing packs of high-end Wagyu beef into his cooler bag and strolling past the checkout without paying.

This wasn't a one-off incident; the tradie is accused of repeating this theft more than 27 times, with the stolen goods totalling an eye-watering $12,000.

But here's the twist: despite the clear-cut nature of the crime, many Australians are siding with the alleged thief.


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A man allegedly stole expensive meats at a Drakes supermarket. Credit: A Current Affair / YouTube


And the reason? A deep-seated frustration with the big supermarket chains and the perception of their role in the rising cost of living, including the price of groceries.

The Director of Drakes Supermarkets, John Paul Drake, has taken measures to combat such thefts, including the installation of GPS trackers on meat products.

'We know these products aren't going to people in need, people in need don't need Wagyu or Angus pure beef to have on their tables,’ he said.

The South Australia Police are investigating the incidents, and the supermarket chain is considering rolling out the GPS technology across all its stores in South Australia and Queensland.

This move comes as Drakes claimed that meat theft costs them up to $12 million a year.



Auror, a company offering tech solutions to help retailers curb theft, found over 67,000 cases of stolen meat last year. Beef is the most frequently stolen, followed by chicken, lamb, and pork.

While some individuals steal meat for personal consumption, there were reports of others selling premium cuts to restaurants.

Drake has posted multiple videos on social media exposing alleged thieves caught on CCTV cameras stealing meat.

He confronted a man at a Drakes supermarket in Adelaide who allegedly tried to leave the store without paying.

'I said, “Look mate, I know things are tough out there, but this is not the place to walk out with products like this,”’ Drake said.



However, the public reaction to the tradie's meat heist has been mixed, with some online commenters suggesting that the supermarkets themselves are partly to blame for the thefts.

They argued that the high salaries of CEOs and substantial profits of the chains, such as Woolworths' $1.74 billion last year, contrast sharply with the financial struggles many Australians face.

'Lots of people struggle to feed themselves while places like ww (Woolworths) pay their CEOs around $10 million a year,' one shopper commented.

‘I don't even consider a freebie here and there as stealing.'

Another added, 'Stop charging ridiculous amounts of money. If that stock wasn't [allegedly] stolen it would be thrown out like everything else.'

'Woolworths [made] $1.74billion in profit last year! Who's ripping off who in these situations?'

Moreover, a Greens-led Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices has recommended making price gouging illegal and introducing laws to dismantle Australia's supermarket duopoly.

You can watch A Current Affairs’ coverage below:


Credit: A Current Affair / YouTube

Key Takeaways

  • A man wearing a hi-vis jacket was caught on CCTV allegedly stealing packs of premium meat, including Wagyu beef, worth $12,000 from Drakes supermarkets.
  • Drakes Supermarkets have installed GPS trackers on their expensive meat products to deter thieves and track stolen items.
  • While some social media users condemned the action, others sympathised with the alleged thief, blaming supermarket chains for high prices and executive salaries.
  • Drakes is considering expanding the use of GPS technology to all of its stores amongst a backdrop of inquiries into supermarket pricing practices in Australia.
Have you ever experienced seeing a shoplifter in action? Let us know in the comments below!
 
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It really doesn’t worry me as I can’t eat meat anymore ☹️ so if the supermarkets want to stop this bring back the butchers, and have a butcher’s shop just like the deli’s, then we get what we want also not all this hidden fat under our steak.
 
Theft is theft. This lowlife is stealing high end meat not for himself but for a profit. We all end up paying for his dishonesty by higher prices. There are places like Foodbanks & the Salvos so there is no excuse for theft. And those that are defending him are probably thieves themselves. I work hard for my money BUT there were times that I could only afford bread & butter & was close to losing everything & forced to live on the streets.
well understood. So very long ago my eldest son took dripping sandwiches to school. Imagine doinng that now.
 
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Nobody is justifying high prices, just pointing out that these thieves exploits add to the cost of food as obviously the supermarkets pass these costs onto their customers.
They are not Robin Hood, they are just thieves.
Why pass it on to customers? Why not give a few cents LESS to investors?
And yes it is justification.
 
You really think that would make a difference. A thief is a thief they will steal no matter what.
Those that think this is OK are as bad as the thief. They have lost their moral compass
Sure the supemarkets are price
gouging, protest with your feet, not your hands.
There is no excuse for stealing.
There are plenty of food banks, etc. available for those truly in need.
Are you going to throw the first stone?
 
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Reactions: siameezer
Why would you be on a person stealing from some who is trying to make a living, maybe they are some of the person buying the stolen goods
Why pass it on to customers? Why not give a few cents LESS to investors?
And yes it is justification.
May be you should look at your own morals regarding thiefs, people work hard for a living and yet low life who make their stealing for a living, yes we all suffer from higher pricing, yet it may not be if these low life did not steal.
We would not have higher pricing, as insurance companies have to pay out and on going insurance rises also cause higher prices
 
As most others have already said, there is no justification for theft. The time for leniency comes after he's charged, taken to court, and the real circumstances are known (not just making assumptions). However, there is a very high likelihood that it is being on-sold to a restaurant rather than to feed his family, given the high-end nature of the products.

Theft and the measures being implemented to combat it, are a part of what drives up costs to supermarkets, which are then passed on to us. The theft begins with calling avocadoes apples in the self-service checkouts, to casual shoplifting, up to supermarket shareholders ALWAYS expecting to make profits on their investment EVERY year, regardless of the economic climate. None of it can be justified!
 
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Supermarkets throw away food that is not sold and "out of date".
Aged care homes throw away food that is not consumed by residents than give it to staff unless they pay for it.
Both are money driven. Both display despicable attitude to food wastage.
How about if supermarkets reduced the price of products particularly perishable goods (no more stealing?) and aged care facilities offered food to their staff instead of throwing it away.
Don't kid yourself Christina people will steal whatever the price and if this is someone desperate for food why the choicest and most expensive meat? We all pay as supermarkets increase prices to cover the cost of stealing.
 
theft is theft... do the crime, do the time. Even almost 60 years ago when I could only afford to feed my kids and I ate their leftovers and one of my jobs was cleaning a shop I NEVER even thought about stealing stuff. I can't find any excuse for it and in those days there were no places to go for freebees like there is today
l know what it's like to have no money. We were in a caravan park in Coffs Harbour. My husband and eldest son had to go to Launceston leaving me with four children.They were away longer than expected.l couldn't contact him- no mobiles then or visa cards-l ran out of money l had to go to S Security never been before and they refused to help me unless l said my husband had left me. l got the ombudsman and she said the same.l felt so upset having to make my dear husband into the bad guy but they did eventually give me payment. ln the meantime we picked up leaflets offering free bananas but if pushed l would have had no option but to feed my children anyway l could.
 
Why would you be on a person stealing from some who is trying to make a living, maybe they are some of the person buying the stolen goods

May be you should look at your own morals regarding thiefs, people work hard for a living and yet low life who make their stealing for a living, yes we all suffer from higher pricing, yet it may not be if these low life did not steal.
We would not have higher pricing, as insurance companies have to pay out and on going insurance rises also cause higher prices
You are insinuating that I am immoral. Another justification for your daft opinion. You must be one of those people that comply with whatever is put in front of you such as having all the vaccines that they through at you. Are you on booster number 10 Brian Mc?
And here's a though: supermarkets are stealing from us with their gouging. Has this occurred to anyone?
 
Don't kid yourself Christina people will steal whatever the price and if this is someone desperate for food why the choicest and most expensive meat? We all pay as supermarkets increase prices to cover the cost of stealing.
Don't patronise me. I am not kidding myself.
 
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No I haven't experienced a shoplifter but what angers me is, not everyone eats meat regularly anymore but no one has the right to steal no matter what. If they can't afford to buy food they should go to places like food bank or other charities. Why are people defending the offender saying that he did it because of price rises? That's not an excuse. There are other cheaper substitutes they can buy. I hardly ever eat meat but I'm not going to steal it, I rather buy something cheaper. Anyone who steals should be punished no matter what.
 
You are insinuating that I am immoral. Another justification for your daft opinion. You must be one of those people that comply with whatever is put in front of you such as having all the vaccines that they through at you. Are you on booster number 10 Brian Mc?
And here's a though: supermarkets are stealing from us with their gouging. Has this occurred to anyone?
You come across as a shoplifter yourself, you're very quick to defend them
The people on this site are not stupid, we all realise supermarkets are price gouging, that does not justifying stealing.
Your comment with regards to immunisation has nothing to do with shoplifting and is beyond stupid.
Maybe you should spend more time on learning how to spell(eg.threw) instead of throwing insults at honest people.
A little more education may give you a more educated outlook on life and the law.
Would you be so happy for someone to waltz into your home and help themselves.
 
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Theft doesn't cost the supermarkets anything.. The profits speak for themselves. The honest customers are the ones that pay for all the theft.
That is exactly what people are saying isn't it.
The supermarkets pass these losses onto US therefore those stealing are stealing from US.
What's so hard to understand about that.
A thief is a thief is a thief no matter what way you want to colour the story.
 
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Reactions: freedy50
You come across as a shoplifter yourself, you're very quick to defend them
The people on this site are not stupid, we all realise supermarkets are price gouging, that does not justifying stealing.
Your comment with regards to immunisation has nothing to do with shoplifting and is beyond stupid.
Maybe you should spend more time on learning how to spell(eg.threw) instead of throwing insults at honest people.
A little more education may give you a more educated outlook on life and the law.
Would you be so happy for someone to waltz into your home and help themselves.
I agree with what you said about christina, she has no control of what she has stssted . Covid inhection havd nothing to do wit stesling, if you xant afford it dont stwwal it, get a second job to be abldd to aaford meat, christibba would be the first to blow their stack if someone stole from them , may be she is psrt of centre link member or a brainless greenie
 
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Reactions: mylittletibbies
So what if this supermarket, or any business, makes a large profit? It's their business. And so what if this, or any, CEO earns a high salary? In this case they're overseeing a company that runs nearly 1,500 shops and about 200,000 employees. People start companies to make a profit for themselves. They're not charities.

The shops need security guards walking round and monitoring CCTV. Tag all items and have alarms at the exit that go off if anything is taken out with a tag still on it. Hopefully this may deter these lowlife thieves?
 

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