4 men are accused of stealing goods worth millions of dollars from trailers on the Turnpike

Police say they have arrested four people who stole millions of dollars worth of goods from trailers along the New Jersey Turnpike.

According to officials, the suspects were arrested on Friday when they were caught red-handed in the Molly Pitcher Service Area at around 1:25 a.m.

According to New Jersey State Police, four men between the ages of 23 and 37 from Philadelphia stole items such as meat, alcohol and seafood from trailers parked in front of rest areas.

Police believe the men have been committing these crimes across New Jersey and neighboring states over the past three years.

Police called their search for the suspects “Operation Beef Bandit.” They say the men were involved in a series of at least nine trailer break-ins and officers worked for about two months to catch them.

The operation ended Friday when officers caught them red-handed stealing boxes of meat from a parked trailer at the Molly Pitcher Service Area.

According to officials, two of the men attempted to flee in a stolen car and crashed into an unmarked police car. Three officers sustained minor injuries and two state police vehicles were damaged.

The four are being held in the Middlesex County Jail awaiting their detention hearing.

News 12 reported last week on thieves attempting to steal over $300,000 worth of seafood from a trailer in the same area.

The police did not provide any information as to whether there is a connection between the two incidents.