Honeydew melon season passed months ago, but the fruit isn't scarce for someone who made off with approximately $50,000 worth of the melons on New Year's Eve, Hamilton Police say.

Police say between 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, someone stole a 16-metre tractor-trailer filled with honeydew melons from a parking compound.

The melons were destined for Hamilton-area grocery stores, police say.

Hamilton Police Staff Sgt. Mike Webber said Sunday it's the first melon caper he's heard of.

"I don't know if there's a market for this type of thing," he said.

The investigation is ongoing and police are looking for the plate number of the vehicle that was taken from Barton Street East, along with the containers holding the melons.

It's not as easy to track as a pile of lifted electronics.

"There's no serial numbers on the melons," Webber said.