Spanish thieves arrested for stealing over 19 tons of olives

According to local authorities, a gang of thieves operating in the Spanish countryside was arrested after stealing more than 19 tons of olives.

The group robbed six farms in the Las Vegas area outside the capital city of Madrid, according to Agence France-Presse. Sixteen people have been arrested and five others are under investigation by the national police.

“Guardia Civil arrested and investigated 21 people involved in the theft of 17,500 kilograms. [38580 pounds] olives in the Las Vegas area,” police said.

An investigation into the theft of olives began in January after a farmer reported that more than 18,500 pounds of olives had been stolen from his land. Authorities have linked the incident to other reports of the theft of “significant amounts of olives,” according to The Guardia Civil.

Then, in February, police received reports of five people carrying more than 300 pounds of olives in broad daylight, but they were unable to prove they legally purchased them, AFP reported.

Police raided two olive presses in the regions of Toledo and Guadalajara that allegedly pressed stolen fruit into olive oil and arrested those responsible.

Investigators found documents showing the exchange of more than 19 tons of stolen olives and confiscated several containers containing more than 1,500 gallons of olive oil.

Arrested between the ages of 20 and 57 were charged with several charges, including theft, fraud and receiving stolen goods, according to AFP.

Olive and olive oil prices have skyrocketed since last year’s severe drought, jeopardizing global supplies.

In Spain, which supplies 80% of the world’s olive oil, the harvest has fallen by 50%, making this the worst season in 15 years, according to John Davies, chief meteorologist for Everstream Analytics, a supply chain forecasting and risk analysis company. .

“The wide-ranging drought in Europe and the Mediterranean countries has had a significant impact on global supply, as approximately 80% of olive production comes from this region,” Davis said in an interview with Fox Weather last month.

One olive oil producer predicted that Spain had enough olive oil to meet domestic demand and said he thought there would be no olive oil in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Davis told Fox Weather that olive oil prices in America have risen “between 30% and 50% depending on the region.”

Other issues affecting the industry include bacteria killing the olive tree, as well as COVID-related production and supply issues related to the ongoing war in Ukraine.