Spain: 16 arrested after a massive theft of olives

The Spanish authorities announced on Friday the arrest of sixteen people accused of having stolen, near Madrid, the gigantic quantity of 17.5 tons of olives from which they then extracted oil.

The Civil Guard said in a statement that it had arrested 16 people and investigated 5 others for the “theft of more than 17.5 tons of olives in the canton of Las Vegas”, southeast of Madrid.

Prosecuted for theft and fraud, the suspects are aged between 20 and 57.

The olive, called “green gold” in the country, is one of the main agricultural riches of Spain, which is the world’s leading oil producer.

The Spanish authorities’ investigation began in January after a farmer complained that he had 8.4 tonnes of olives stolen, which echoed other thefts of “significant quantities” of olives in the region. same area, detailed the Civil Guard.

After having arrested in broad daylight five people transporting 140 kg of olives in their vehicle, without being able to provide evidence as to their origin, the Civil Guard searched two olive presses in the regions of Toledo and Guadalajara (center) and arrested their owners.

They found documents relating to the exchange of these 17.5 tons of olives and barrels containing more than 6,000 liters of oil.