Stolen truck found transporting 18,000 pounds of toilet paper amid COVID-19 shortage

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With several countries gripped by a shortage of toilet paper, a stolen truck was found transporting tons of the coveted rolls in North Carolina, USA.

The vehicle, a 53-foot Hyundai dry van trailer, was found by officers containing 18,000 pounds of toilet paper, as per the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post earlier today, March 20.

After further investigation, police reported that the truck had been stolen locally and was being used to transport the said paper products.

https://www.facebook.com/guilfordcountysheriff/photos/a.1311156345666249/2405156066266266/?type=3&theater

No arrests have been made as the matter was still under investigation.

The police’s discovery comes just as the world deals with the shortages on key necessities and sanitary items other than toilet paper, such as alcohol and hand sanitizers, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This shortage has led small and big stores alike to hike up their prices on the goods, earning over 5,000 complaints from the country’s different states, according to an AP survey.

Despite the novel coronavirus’ induced panic-buying frenzy, however, this surge in demand is expected to subside as supply increases, as per the Washington Post on March 14.

There are now 209,839 recorded COVID-19 cases worldwide, while 8,778 people have died as of yesterday, March 19.  /ra

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