Enlarge image

Food market in Havana: Thieves are said to have sold chicken meat on the street (symbolic image)

Photo: Katarzyna Drazek / Pond5 Images / IMAGO

After an extraordinary theft, 30 people have to stand trial in the island state of Cuba. They are accused of stealing 133 tons of chicken meat and selling it on the street, according to the Reuters news agency, citing Cuban state television.

The thieves are said to have stolen the meat in 1,660 white boxes from a government facility in the capital Havana. They used the proceeds to buy refrigerators, laptops, televisions and air conditioners, Cuban state television reported late Friday.

Food is scarce and sometimes rationed in the communist-ruled country. A corresponding system was introduced in 1959 after Fidel Castro's revolution. This is intended to provide subsidized basic foodstuffs for all citizens.

The chickens that were now stolen were intended for this system. Rigoberto Mustelier, director of state food distributor COPMAR, said the amount stolen was equivalent to a month's ration for a medium-sized province in the country at current distribution rates.

Suspects face up to 20 years in prison

The amount of rationed chicken that Cubans can get has shrunk significantly in recent years. The background is that food, but also fuel and medicine, have become increasingly scarce in the country as a result of the economic crisis.

Many subsidized products reach the population days, weeks or even months later than planned. As a result, many people are forced to look for other ways to make ends meet. The average wage in Cuba is 4,209 pesos per month (the equivalent of about $14 at the informal exchange rate).

It is unclear how long ago the theft occurred and how much of the meat was sold illegally. On the day of the crime, the thieves are said to have struck between midnight and 2 a.m. According to the information, this suggests fluctuations in the temperature of the cold storage facility. The video surveillance shows trucks transporting the stolen goods from the site.

According to the television report, the 30 defendants include shift managers and IT employees at the facility as well as security guards and outsiders who are not directly connected to the company. If found guilty, the suspects face up to 20 years in prison.

fok/Reuters