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8 People Who Were Arrested For Crimes Relating to Food

You might think dipping your chips in mayo or topping off your milkshake with a doughnut equates to food crimes of the tallest order, but this list is all about those who got on the wrong side of the law...

The world is full of weird laws relating to food. For instance, did you know that it’s actually illegal to take our beloved Kinder Eggs into the US? Meanwhile, in Western Australia crushing a can of beer between your breasts could land you a fine. (Yep. We’re not joking.)

The following eight examples of people arrested for crimes relating to food, however, take things a little further. From stealing tonnes of Nutella to scamming stores over soggy bread, these could be the worst cases of hanger ever…

1. One guy got a little too hungry after a night out

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This is taking hunger to the next level. Image: janeezzy / Instagram

After a drink or two, it’s natural to crave something greasy to soak up all the alcohol. One guy in St. Cloud, Minnesota, took things a bit too far on a night out though, when he broke into a Pizza Hut – and then attempted to fry some of their boneless wings. He even managed to get marinara sauce all over the walls, as if this story wasn’t surreal enough.

He was arrested by police and, in a bizarre twist of fate, was found to actually be a Pizza Hut employee. Despite all this, he was jailed on suspicion of third-degree burglary…

2. Three cheese smugglers were busted after transporting the stuff into Canada

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That’s a lotta cheese. Image: cheezelady / Instagram

Cheese is one of the greatest ingredients ever, so we find it easy to believe that it’s also the most stolen food in the world. Back in 2012 though, three men were busted for buying brick cheese (most commonly used for pizza toppings) in the US, and then taking it to Canada hidden in their vehicles.

Fun fact: cheese in the US costs around ⅓ of what it does in Canada. That’s not something that escaped the notice of these three smugglers, who were estimated to have made a total profit of $165,000 from their cheese endeavours.

3. Can we REALLY blame thieves for stealing 5 metric tonnes of Nutella?

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The things we could do with 5 tonnes of Nutella… Image: tuki_pham / Instagram

If you’re going to steal anything in bulk, it’s got to be Nutella. Good on toast, in sandwiches and basically anything you can get your hands on, it provides a world of chocolate-hazelnut goodness. In April 2013, thieves nicked 5 metric tonnes of the spread from a parked up trailer. They managed to get away with around $20,710 worth of Nutella, which we bet made for one heck of a dinner.

4. A man sought revenge for a Taco Bell price hike in the worst way possible

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Taco ‘bout food rage. Image: minami_25p / Instagram

Fast food companies are subject to the same issues as just about everyone else in society, so it’s hardy surprising that they find it necessary to increase their prices from time-to-time. One man, however, took out his anger at being charged more by heading for the drive-thru window and firing a BB gun at the manager. Thankfully no one was injured, but after opening fire on police the angry customer was arrested and charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault.

5. Could this be the most British crime ever?

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The Toblerone spaces is enough to make anyone angry… Image: bryanridarick / Instagram

In what could possibly be more British than the Queen riding a corgi over Tower Bridge, a gang were jailed for stealing a bunch of articulated lorries – which contained loot including £200,000 of Toblerone chocolate and £23,000 of whisky.

The group of six men were mainly from the Liverpool area and sentenced to jail terms ranging from four years to four years and eight months.

6. How do you turn soggy bread into £200,000?

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This is a trick even David Blaine would love to do. Image: khinkle710 / Instagram

If you’re after a quick buck, we wouldn’t recommend going down the route of Takashi Ishimoto, a Tokyo resident who conned shops out of more than 30 million yen (or £200,000) – all through an elaborate plan involving soggy bread.

The plan was carefully carried out –

Step 1: Ishimoto contacted a shop to tell them he had bought sliced bread from them that turned out to be soggy.

Step 2: Ishimoto then phoned the shop again, impersonating someone from the head office of the retail store. He would then tell them that he had heard about the complaint, and that the shop should give the customer not only some replacement bread – but all the cash they had taken for that day.

Step 3: Repeat for all the local stores over five years.

Step 4: Profit.

That’s dedication.

7. Ever felt like a waiter spit in your drink? Yeah, this is proof that it actually happens…

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Get your DNA testing kits out. Image: sabryna29 / Instagram

When a customer got suspicious that a waiter was spitting in his drink, he took the only sensible option available: he sent the drink off to get DNA tested. The waiter admitted his guilt and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge.

8. Who ya gonna call when your fast food order’s wrong?

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Let the hanger flow through you. Image: inomad22 / Instagram

If your local fast food restaurant serves you up the wrong food, here’s a tip: don’t call 999. One man in America called the emergency services to complain after the drive-thru manager closed the window on him. He allegedly wanted the police to talk to the manager in order to correct his order… Officers were sent out to arrest the man for misuse of 911 – but that didn’t stop him chomping his way through half of his ‘incorrect’ order.