The Civil Guard of Alicante has investigated 17 people, as allegedly responsible for 12 robberies of carob,
committed in different locations in the Marina Alta and Marina Baixa Alicante. The agents initiated the investigations upon detecting an increase in the theft of this product. These are several groups, not linked to each other, made up of two or three people each, mostly from the town of Alicante.
During the last two months, the Civil Guard detected an increase in carob theft, in farms in the Marina Alta and Baixa regions, especially in the towns of Altea, Benigembla, Gata de Gorgos and Jalón.
The Specialized Team Against Robbery in the Field (ROCA) of the Calpe Civil Guard Company began investigations aimed at clarifying the facts, which were causing great unease among farmers, fearful of losing the season's production.
Most of the crimes were committed at noon, coinciding with the hottest hours, when there is usually no staff working on the farms because they stop to eat and rest. The thieves harvested the carob directly from the trees and loaded it onto vehicles to take it away. If they found in the zone prepared the
bags, already collected by the farmers themselves, were loaded without hesitation.
Throughout the investigation, the agents verified that they were several groups of criminals, with no links to each other, each made up of two or three people, who used truck-type vehicles, which admitted heavy and voluminous loads, sometimes even rental.
17 people aged between 15 and 55, of Spanish, Moroccan and Romanian nationalities, mostly from the capital of the province, have been investigated. They are attributed 12 crimes of carob theft. The proceedings have been made available to the Investigating Courts of Benidorm and Denia, and the Alicante Juvenile Prosecutor's Office.
The stolen carob beans were later sold on the black market. The agents have located two warehouses in Altea and Sella that may have been receiving part of this product. The Civil Guard, with the collaboration of the Department of Public Health of the Marina Baixa, has inspected these warehouses, in which a total of 23 tons of fruit acquired irregularly has been detected, and its traceability cannot be accredited by those responsible, and therefore, the legal origin.
In addition, two warehouses had serious deficiencies of a sanitary nature. The stores have been reported for various violations of the regulations governing Food Safety. 23 tons of carob have been immobilized.
The thefts suffered have generated significant losses among farmers. The carob has become a target fruit for thefts due to the price it currently has on the market. 300 kilograms of carob have been recovered during the proceedings and have already been delivered to their rightful owners.
Within the framework of the Service Order against thefts in agricultural and livestock farms, since its creation, the ROCA Civil Guard Teams have maintained an ongoing relationship with farmers and agricultural associations, a key to success in prosecuting the crimes suffered. this sector.
