Sydney salmon theft: Five factory employees arrested over stolen fish

Two men have fronted court after five employees of a southwest Sydney salmon factory were arrested after some fishy behaviour allegedly surfaced.

A pair of accused salmon swindlers who allegedly helped steal up to 250 tonnes of salmon from a processing plant in Ingleburn have appeared in court for the first time.

Minto man Anthony John Leao-seve, 32, and 49-year-old Hue Quyen Tang, of Cabramatta, were arrested on December 23 following extensive inquiries by Campbelltown Police after they were notified by the executive of the Huon Aquaculture plant in Ingleburn in December.

The pair have both been charged with stealing property from their employer.

Mr Leao-seve is accused of stealing fresh salmon to the value of $11,850 between September 9 and December 18, 2021.

Pictured is Hue Quyen Tang entering Campbelltown Court on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mr Tang has been accused of stealing more than $15,000 worth of Tasmanian salmon between September 1 and December 8, 2020.

Mr Tang faced Campbelltown Local Court on Monday represented by a lawyer and intended to plead guilty but it was not accepted by police prosecutor Stuart Osten because the matter was being transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Leao-seve also faced court and both men were granted strict conditional bail with their matters adjourned to next month.

Pictured is John Leao-seve running out of Campbelltown Court with a jacket on his head on Monday.

Police began an investigation into reports of theft from a salmon farming and processing company in December last year.

An internal audit showed the company was missing hundreds of tonnes of salmon with 600kg of product unaccounted for each day.

Acting Inspector Graham Nappier said the theft allegedly began in March.

“It looks like it was over a prolonged period, pretty much from the COVID lockdown period in early March. They (the salmon) had been going out the door until the investigation started.” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

Detectives spoke to several employees at the factory on December 20 before finding two women who had allegedly stolen salmon products.

The women, aged 30 and 31, were issued with court attendance notices and are expected to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on February 22.

Police returned to the factory three days later and arrested Tang and Leao-seve.

A third man, aged 30, was then arrested at Sydney Airport the same day before being charged with stealing. He will appear in Campbelltown Local Court on February 1.

Police will allege in court the group used their roles within the company to falsely grade premium salmon products as waste, which was then removed from the plant and transported for on-sale or traded for other products.

All five people accused of being members of the sting have been fired.