As soon as the summer arrives in the Axarquia district, so do the well-organised gangs who pilfer the mango and avocado orchards of the local farmers. In the past two days alone, around 4,000 kilos of fruits have been stolen.
In addition to the thefts of the fruits themselves, the farmers have to absorb the costs of the damage caused to irrigation systems and fences.
The stolen fruits find their way into all sorts retail establishments and commercial outlets. Some of those fruits are not yet ripe and this also damages the image of the industry.
The robberies are very well planned and occur despite any security measures, the thieves knowing exactly when and where to strike. These days, many farmers don’t even bother to report robberies from their properties as there is little chance of any positive result.