The Civil Guard is investigating seven people whom it accuses of stealing 700 kilos of avocados from at least seven farms in the north of Tenerife, and an eighth, of marketing this merchandise knowing its origin. Those seven robberies with force were committed in La Victoria de Acentejo, La Orotava, Tacoronte, Puerto de la Cruz and San Juan de la Rambla, according to sources from the armed institute. In all cases, those investigated presumably scaled the perimeter walls and broke the protection fences of the farms.
During the investigation, the agents of the ROCA Team, specialized in agricultural robberies, verified that one of those investigated always traveled in a large-capacity rental van in order to make identification tasks more difficult. This particular person has a history of similar events and the Civil Guard charges him with at least two crimes of robbery with force on farms located in the municipality of La Victoria, from which he stole more than 200 kilos of avocados.
The other six under investigation, five men and one woman, are accused of committing another four robberies with force in which approximately 500 kilos of avocados were stolen.
The Civil Guard emphasizes that the defendants “were perfectly aware” of the quality and condition of the products they stole, as well as the locations of the farms and their accesses through areas where they could hardly be seen. Thus, while one accessed the interior of the same to carry out the theft, another stayed outside to carry out surveillance tasks.
On one occasion, two of those investigated were surprised in the middle of their work by the owner of one of the farms and fled in a hurry; in another, Civil Guard agents located one of the accused in the vicinity of a farm, hiding three empty sacks among his clothing.
Thanks to the data provided by the citizen collaboration, as well as the collaboration with agents of the Local Police of the affected municipalities, the agents of the Roca Team managed to identify, locate and investigate the alleged perpetrators of the robberies.
Within the framework of the investigations, the Civil Guard established a schedule of periodic surveillance and inspections in establishments and greengrocers in the northern part of the island, and thus was able to intercept some 60 kilos of stolen avocados in a store in Puerto de la Cruz. The owner of the establishment is being investigated as the alleged perpetrator of a crime of reception and money laundering in the agricultural field.
During the investigation, the agents verified that the person under investigation illicitly bought the avocados at a very low price and well below their current market value, to later sell them in the commercial establishment.
The proceedings instructed have been handed over to the investigating courts of La Laguna, La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz and Icod de los Vinos
