Pistachios
Credit: Reuters/Karen Firouz
Some of the hottest items on the black market these days are nuts.
More than 30 truckloads of almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans, and walnuts have been stolen from nut growers and processors in central California in the last six months. Thieves infiltrating the long and complicated chain that link farms to retailers have made off with an estimated $10 million in product, on a scale that has stunned farmers and law enforcement alike.
“All we’ve seen in the past is in orchard theft, where guys take a bucket and go sell them at the farmers’ market. We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Roger Isom, president of the Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA).
Food and beverages have replaced electronics as the most-stolen good in the US. Criminals are concentrating their efforts on fewer heists of larger value, and as stolen goods go, nuts have a lot of appeal. They’re expensive. They have a long shelf life. They have […]
