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The commercial value of this fruit, with prices between 0.60 and 0.80 euros per kilogram, makes it one of the main targets for robberies on agricultural estates in the region – along with avocado and orange -, having been registered during the You will see several seizures of large amounts of carob.
According to GNR, after a slight drop in the amount of carob recovered in the region from 2018 to 2019 (from 1.78 to 1.23 tons), this year there is an increase to 5.4 tons, accompanied by an increase in complaints. for carob theft for a total of 78.
The seed of the carob fruit is used in various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or food – as an additive for puddings, porridges and ice cream stabilizers – and also for the textile industry.
The carob pulp, which represents 90 percent of the weight of the fruit, is used for various sweets such as cookies and cakes, liqueurs, syrup, bread and animal feed.
According to GNR, the thefts are related to the harvest season, “especially in the months of June to September”, with the perpetrators of these crimes subsequently targeting “agricultural warehouses and annexes of the producer’s residence, where they are normally installed. . carob until sold ”.
“The registered data indicate that, in general terms, thefts on agricultural land are carried out by people from the region, who are familiar with the territory, who collect properties or agricultural land (unfenced spaces) without authorization to do so,” characterized the force. of security.
As for the most affected areas, they are mainly in the “central area of the Algarve, in a strip that extends from the municipality of Albufeira to the municipality of Olhão”, added the GNR.
