Your next cup of coffee could be hotter than you think.
Organized criminals in the United States, Brazil, and Viet Nam are stealing coffee beans by the truckload, reports Reuters. The price of green coffee beans has shot up to an all-time high due to floods and droughts in major coffee-growing areas like Brazil.
"Each truck load has about 44,000 pounds (19,958 kg) of green beans, which at current market value is worth around $180,000," reports Reuters.
Criminals in the United States set up fake transportation companies. They approach importers with too-good-to-resist freight charges. Then they load up their trucks and drive off with the beans, never to be heard from again.
From Reuters:
Some market participants believe the gangs then try to sell the beans to smaller roasters, which are feeling the pain from sky-high prices. Some importers have started attaching tracking devices to the coffee bags, in an effort to protect their shipments.
Previously:
• Cat-butt coffee: A critical review
• HOWTO attain radical hotel-room coffee independence
• Goat served at coffee shop drive-thru
• How to reheat coffee
• This insulated french press is how I drink coffee all-day
