A truck carrying 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, reportedly around 50,000 cans, was stolen in California in a suspected cargo-theft operation. The incident matters because police believe it may be connected to fraudulent pickups that removed about $70,000 worth of beer products from a distribution centre within roughly an hour.

Pabst publicly appealed for the truck’s return, offering a reward for useful information and initially saying it would ask no questions if it was returned within 18 days and 44 minutes. Montclair police said an earlier $45,000 shipment bound for Tucson failed to arrive, followed by a second pickup worth about $25,000 arranged with allegedly fraudulent paperwork; no suspects or public leads have been announced.