A recent spate of avocado thefts from orchards in the north of Israel have caused massive losses for growers. Dozens of tonnes of avocados have been stolen from several growers, with an overall value of tens of thousands of Euros.
Following extensive surveillance and investigation, Israeli police were able to capture a van loaded with a tonne of freshly picked avocados which had just recently been stolen. They also captured seven suspects which are said to be connected to the raids. According to police, the suspects would enter the orchards at night with large trucks and load avocados straight from the trees into big bags, which they later sold off to wholesalers. It is estimated that the suspects were able to pocket over 200,000 Euros as a part of the scheme.
Due to consistently high demand on the local market and large quantities of exports, avocados are one of the most important fruits grown in Israel. And yet, growers are largely defenceless against such raids, as orchards are generally unguarded and easily accessible, which has prompted the police to get involved.
Israeli police officers conducted stakeouts of orchards, collected intelligence, and went undercover in an effort to identify those responsible. They were able to identify the seven suspects as well as four of the vehicles used in the raids. The suspects are now in custody awaiting official charges to be filed against them, and it is expected that more arrests will be made.