Police investigating another seafood theft from a parked truck in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Another overnight heist involving a parked tractor-trailer, seafood and the dead of night — this time, in South Philadelphia — is under investigation Wednesday morning.

Philadelphia police said six men stole pallets of crab meat from a parked truck at 7th Street and Packer Avenue around 3:30 a.m.

According to police, the truck driver was asleep when movements awoke him from the back of the truck. The driver told police he saw six men stealing boxes of crab meat, estimated to be worth $42,000.

The suspects fled the scene in three different cars toward Oregon Avenue, police said.

The theft is reminiscent of a six-month-old crime that happened in Northeast Philadelphia.

In March, thieves broke into a parked refrigerated truck on Charter Road and tried to take dozens of pounds of Alaskan salmon and Pacific cod . Boxes of fish and Weller bourbon were scattered across the road and in that case, there was a police pursuit.

In April, thieves broke into a truck in the same location while the driver was asleep and stole two pallets of pork before getting away in a Lexus. The driver told police he was napping until a nearby business opened up and he could make his delivery.

Philadelphia police warn of string of cargo thefts

In July, Philadelphia Police's Northeast Detectives held a news conference warning tractor-trailer drivers to be on the lookout after recent cargo thefts around Northeast Philadelphia and South Philadelphia.

Capt. John Ryan told reporters the thieves usually operate in groups of four to eight people and usually target trucks that are unattended or parked with a sleeping driver.

"We don't recommend that anyone confront the thieves, they should just quietly call 911 from the cab of the truck and let police respond," Ryan said in July.

We've reached out to Philadelphia police to find out whether Wednesday morning's theft may be connected to the earlier string of truck burglaries.