Spam, A Lot Of It, Stolen to Feed Hawaii’s Black Market
EWA BEACH, HI — Hawaiians like Spam a lot, consuming more than five cans per person per year, and officials across the Pacific island chain are reporting that a thieves in an organized retail crime network are stealing cartloads of the mealtime favorite, becoming more brazen as they feed the Spam black market. The latest in a spate of Spam heists, both attempted and successful, occurred Wednesday at a drug store in Ewa Beach, where three women are accused of trying to steal 18 cases of the canned ham product from a drug store.
Some stores, like the Ewa Beach Long’s Drugs on the island of Oahu, where the attempted theft took place, are now locking down their supplies and Spam is only available by request, like expensive liquors and luxury items. Thieves are also stealing designer clothing, electronics, power tools and canned corned beef, which is also popular in Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Retail Association.
The stolen Spam and other items are sold at swap meets and, sometimes, from the back of cars, according to media reports.
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I actually used to live in Eva Beach. Not exactly a crime-ridden den of iniquity, but then that was more than thirty years ago.
I wasn't aware of the grab-and-dash problem they're apparently having now, but I've long known how popular Spam is in Hawaii. Because so many things, including meat, have to be imported by ship from the mainland, the cost of those things is much higher than elsewhere. Spam is relatively cheap, so they've been including it in local recipes since at least the '40s.
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