Grove robbers target 'liquid gold' as olive oil prices triple globally

EuronewsEN - 09/11
Criminals across the Mediterranean region are stealing olives and branches and even cutting down trees to lay their hands on the fruit that has tripled in price since 2019. Some of the trees have stood for more than a hundred years.
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A global surge in olive oil prices – which have tripled since 2019 to set records – has presented criminals across the Mediterranean with an opportunity.

Warehouse break-ins, accounting scams and oil tampering are on the rise in the olive growing heartlands of Greece, Spain and Italy. And with growing frequency, gangs use chainsaws to hack off branches and cut down entire trees at unguarded groves.

The crimes are compounding distress among growers already battling high production costs and the impact of climat...
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