Hundreds of Koi were stolen from a business park pond - netted from the water in full view of employees!
The thieves reportedly posed as an aquatic maintenance company who had come to remove sick fish from the pond at Dulles Corner Park in Herndon, Virginia in the U.S. They handed out a business card to security officials and set to work, using large nets to catch the Koi.
The men worked on the pond from 1-4pm on four days over two weekends, scooping out fish while employees at the business park sat by the lake to eat their lunch. No one suspected that the fish were being packed into coolers and gradually stolen.
However, after the men had finished security officers realised they had not been pond maintenance workers at all.
Around 400 Koi are thought to have been stolen.
The business card used stated the men worked for DSC Aquatic Solutions, which does manage the ponds at the park — but the men don't work for them!
The Koi have been in the pond for around 25 years and are very popular with employees at the park. Very few fish have been left by the thieves, who are described as being white men in their 50's who were wearing sunglasses. One was also described as being overweight and around 5' 5" tall.
An estimated value for the stolen fish has not been released.
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