Avocados in New Zealand are selling for between NZ$4-6 (US$3-4) each following a particularly unfruitful season and an increase in local demand. The Guardian reports that produce company, New Zealand Avocado, says 2015 saw an additional 96,000 New Zealand households beginning to purchase avocados. The company has seen local growers being unable to keep up with the surge in demand, especially since the majority of their business has historically been export sales.

The thefts have been occurring under the cover of night, according to the report, with the fruit being either “raked” from the tree and collected in sheets placed on the ground, or hand-picked and driven away to be sold.

Sergeant Aaron Fraser of Waihi told The Guardian that he has seen “spates” of avocado crimes during his tenure as a policeman, but nothing quite like this current crime wave.

“These stolen avocados can carry risks,” he said. “They are unripe, some have been sprayed recently and they may still carry toxins on the skin. But with the prices so high at the moment, the potential for profit is a strong inducement for certain individuals.”

It doesn’t seem like us stateside will have to worry about accidentally coming in contact with these tainted avocados, however. Jen Scoular, the CEO of New Zealand Avocado explained to the source, “It’s an easy way to make a quick buck, but I don’t think we are dealing with a sophisticated or highly-organized operation here, more opportunistic,” she said. “This stolen fruit will only have made it to the local markets, it would never reach our export markets.”

While she’s concerned about the surge in thievery, Scoular expects a bumper season of locally-grown avocados to flood the New Zealand market in coming weeks, and local avocado farms are already learning to pump up their security game by installing automatic lights and alarm systems.

And if avocado thievery fever makes it way onto this side of the pond, expect AndNowUKnow to bring you every thrilling detail.