Black market avocado sellers get creative as police crack down on thieves
Avocado thieves are turning to Facebook to sell their stolen goods as police try and crack down on the black market that is plaguing the industry.
With the popularity of smashed avo and eggs showing no signs of letting up, New Zealand growers are now taking matters into their own hands in an effort to stop the thieves raiding their properties and “ruining their livelihoods”.
Police have condemned the ongoing thefts and insist it’s not the same as just “stealing a couple of mandarins off your neighbours tree”.
“We are seeing thefts on a commercial scale. We are seeing thousands of dollars of fruit stolen in a single hit and people’s livelihoods are getting ruined,” Sergeant Trevor Brown from Western Bay of Plenty told the Guardian.
In an effort to bring down the stolen fruit syndicate, police are now patrolling individual fruit and veg stores to investigate any underhanded dealings, where thieves have been caught offering mass discounts to shop owners.
With the police hot on their tails, the looting kiwis have turned to Facebook in a bid to offload their goods.
“From a positive perspective the criminals might be taking to social media because the ability to drive up to a road-side stall and sell a crate of avocados on the sly for $50 has got harder this season,” New Zealand Avocado CEO Jen Scoular added.
Throughout the season, which spans from August to March, the avocado thieves are showing up in the middle of the night with rakes and stripping trees clean onto blankets and sleeping bags laying on the ground for quick getaways.
As a result, avocado diehards are now being forced to fork out $7.50 a piece during the off-season.
The brazen thefts come at a time where New Zealand’s industry has swollen from $70 million in 2013 to $198 million in 2017.
Newsbreak - August 23
