Close to two tons of strawberries vanished from Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, just before their scheduled shipment. The incident coincides with the recent surge in prices of this popular Korean winter fruit.
The Gimhae government and local farmers confirmed on Monday that 1,900 kilograms of strawberries, harvested from eight regional farms, disappeared earlier this month. The strawberries, valued at 25 million won ($19,032), were prepared for auction following harvest.
The farmers reported the missing strawberries to the city government and the police on January 2. The location of the strawberries remains a mystery.
The police are currently investigating the case and are seeking surveillance footage from neighboring farms since the strawberry greenhouses lacked CCTV installations. Concurrently, the city government and police have heightened night patrols and anti-burglary campaigns in the area.
Source: koreatimes.co.kr