Thieves Steal €200,000 Worth Of Festive Ham In Spain

A brazen robbery of a Christmas culinary staple has left a family-run business in Spain reeling.

The prized hams, certified with the prestigious Protected Designation of Origin Jabugo seal, were stolen from Jamones Eíriz. I Photo: Jamones Eíriz Facebook

Thieves made off with 400 legs of Iberian acorn-fed ham, valued at €200,000, Amber Luise Bryce reported for Euronews recently.

The prized hams, certified with the prestigious Protected Designation of Origin Jabugo seal, were stolen from Jamones Eíriz, a family-owned company in the mountain village of Corteconcepción, southern Andalusia.

Founded in 1818, the business specializes in gourmet ham production. Police believe five people were involved in the theft and suspect it may have been an inside job.

Domingo Eíriz, a member of the family, explained that the hams were temporarily stored in an unusual location for labeling.

“When I saw they were gone, I told everyone not to touch anything," he said during an interview with Antena 3 television.

"They’ve stolen the third most valuable gourmet product in the world. This is a destruction of years of work."

The theft was discovered after a worker inquired about the missing hams. The estimated value of each ham leg exceeds €500, dependent on weight. The incident has drawn attention as one of the largest gourmet food thefts in recent memory.