New Zealand is Experiencing a Massive Crime Wave—Because Avocados

New Zealand is experiencing a massive crime wave because of a nation-wide avocado shortage.

Not Available Lead
Image via Complex Original
Not Available Lead

The delicious, good-kind-of-fatty fruit that makes guacamole and fancy toast possible, the avocado, is in short supply in New Zealand these days. At first blush this merely sounds like a casual bummer, but the lack of avocado has triggered a significant wave of crime in Kiwiland. 

According to The Guardian, the last growing season was a rough one for avocados leaving the nation with few of the fruits on-hand, and driving the cost of a single avo up to $4 to $6 New Zealand dollars (which would cost about $2.80 to $4.20 in the United States). A recent boom in New Zealand consumer demand for avocados has made it impossible for farmers to keep up with demand, The Guardian reports, but people still want their avocados, dammit.

This has lead to an ongoing series of avocado thefts, where avocado thieves sneak to growers' trees in the night and snap up the valuable fruit. Sergeant Aaron Fraser with the Waihi police told The Guardian that the stolen fruit could potentially be dangerous:

These stolen avocados can carry risks. They are unripe, some have been sprayed recently and they may still carry toxins on the skin. But with the prices so high at the moment, the potential for profit is a strong inducement for certain individuals.

Regarding the thefts, CEO of New Zealand Avocado, Jen Scoular told The Guardian:

It’s an easy way to make a quick buck, but I don’t think we are dealing with a sophisticated or highly organised operation here, more opportunistic. This stolen fruit will only have made it to the local markets, it would never reach our export markets.

Scouler added that avo growers have, of course, gotten wise to the thievery and are using alarms and automatic lights to try to protect their crop.

New Zealand Avocado did not immediately reply to Complex's request for comment. 

Latest in Life