The Algfuturo Association today defended the creation of a Regional Integrated Intervention Unit to combat citrus theft in the Algarve, crimes that have already caused damage in the order of «3 million euros».
«Given the explosion of citrus robberies in the orchards, especially in the last campaign, an atmosphere of panic with dangerous consequences was created that, both in terms of the Democratic Rule of Law and of producers, has to be stopped. Remember that the Algarve represents 90% of the country in the production of citrus fruit consumed fresh and that private companies with public support have invested many millions of euros in the modernization of the sector», recalled Algfuturo.
According to the association, this Integrated Intervention Unit must “dismantle criminal associations, capture and arrest the leaders and prohibit the street sale of citrus fruits”.
And he adds: «it is Algfuturo's opinion that the creation of an Integrated Regional Intervention Unit is justified, with reinforcement and coordination of means of detection, deterrence, capture of thieves, investigation and control of circulation in the Algarve and in cooperation with the Spanish authorities ».
"The alarm is greater because, as was ascertained in the contacts and in-depth survey carried out by Algfuturo in the sector, it is not a question of small individual theft, which could not be tolerated either, but of criminal networks with sophisticated schemes that control the movements of the authorities and owners and cover the entire fraudulent circuit: picking in orchards; transport; packaging; distribution with organized sales for commerce, catering and street sales», concludes Algfuturo.
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