Stolen avocados sold on Facebook as demand – and prices – soar

Who knew avocados would become this popular?

They're a great snack for the kids going to school, and we sneakily add them into meals so our little ones can get the most nutrition as they can - but we never thought the demand for them would become this high. Thieves from New Zealand are selling avocados on Facebook, after the price and demand for the fruit has soared. According to The Telegraph, the robbers were being caught selling the stolen food by the roadside and in small shops, and so had to adapt to online trading. The paper claims that police are being extra vigilant in catching the avo-thieves and have had to accustom their methods in online fraud. Since July, avocado farmers have been complaining about the robberies, which happen most frequently on the North of the island. Many have even taken matters into their own hands, and will chase after the thieves instead of waiting for the police to arrive. Sergeant Trevor Brown told The Guardian: "Orchardists have been a lot more vigilant because of last year. “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. "It is not like just stealing a couple of mandarins off your neighbours tree, we take it very seriously.” Meanwhile, Jen Scoular, CEO of New Zealand Avocado, also told the publication: "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 has to rely on its own crop of avocados as the only ones sold are the ones grown on the island. Avocado season runs from August to March every year, and the fruit has become the country's largest fresh fruit export.