Northland fruit stolen for Auckland markets

Photo / Brett Phibbs

Thousands of avocados, mandarins and tomatoes have been stolen from Northland packhouses over the last month, probably bound for markets in Auckland.

Thieves took nearly 600kg of high grade Haas avocados from a packhouse west of Whangarei over the weekend. Two weeks earlier about 300kg was taken from the same property, the Northern Advocate reported.

Earlier, 1000kg of mandarins was taken from a Kerikeri packhouse and previous raids had netted "truckloads" of tomatoes and 29 crates of mandarins.

NTL Horticulture's Maungatapere general manager Duane Wells said that in the latest raid a lock had been smashed off the chiller unit and two-and-a-half bins of avocados taken, despite a truck being parked in front of the chiller.

In an earlier raid 8300kg of low grade avocados were taken.

"It's someone who knows the industry and how to move large amounts of fruit," Mr Wells said.

Bay of Islands police Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson said it was suspected the "hot" produce was being trucked down to markets in Auckland.

- NZPA