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The 100 Ton Peanut Heist
They drilled through concrete. They lined up multiple trucks. They stole more than 100 tons of something most people would never notice.
In early 2022, one of the largest agricultural heists in Israeli history left investigators baffled. The target wasn’t gold, fuel, or electronics — but a food so ordinary it barely registers as valuable… until you understand its history.
In this episode of True Crime Culinary, we follow the logistics of the theft, the suspects’ background, and the surprising reason this product was worth breaking through reinforced walls to steal. Then we trace its journey across continents — from ancient burial sites in South America, through West African kitchens, into American fields — and uncover how a quiet survival food became a global commodity hiding in plain sight.
This isn’t a story about snacks. It’s a story about planning, scarcity, and the foods we stop seeing once they become everywhere.
Sources:
“That’s nuts!: 104-ton peanut heist leads to quick arrest” — Israel Hayom (2025) www.israelhayom.com
“Suspect arrested for stealing over 104 tons of peanuts in Be’er Sheba” — Jerusalem Post (2025) Jerusalem Post
Peanut plant origin and cultivation history — Wikipedia Wikipedia
Peanut domestication & ancient cultivation — ScienceDirect summary ScienceDirect
Peanut origin & spread via European trade — Etymonline etymonline.com
George Washington Carver biography and bulletins — Wikipedia Wikipedia
Carver’s contributions to peanut agriculture — History.com HISTORY
George Washington Carver agricultural legacy — National Peanut Board National Peanut Board
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By Leah LlachThey drilled through concrete. They lined up multiple trucks. They stole more than 100 tons of something most people would never notice.
In early 2022, one of the largest agricultural heists in Israeli history left investigators baffled. The target wasn’t gold, fuel, or electronics — but a food so ordinary it barely registers as valuable… until you understand its history.
In this episode of True Crime Culinary, we follow the logistics of the theft, the suspects’ background, and the surprising reason this product was worth breaking through reinforced walls to steal. Then we trace its journey across continents — from ancient burial sites in South America, through West African kitchens, into American fields — and uncover how a quiet survival food became a global commodity hiding in plain sight.
This isn’t a story about snacks. It’s a story about planning, scarcity, and the foods we stop seeing once they become everywhere.
Sources:
“That’s nuts!: 104-ton peanut heist leads to quick arrest” — Israel Hayom (2025) www.israelhayom.com
“Suspect arrested for stealing over 104 tons of peanuts in Be’er Sheba” — Jerusalem Post (2025) Jerusalem Post
Peanut plant origin and cultivation history — Wikipedia Wikipedia
Peanut domestication & ancient cultivation — ScienceDirect summary ScienceDirect
Peanut origin & spread via European trade — Etymonline etymonline.com
George Washington Carver biography and bulletins — Wikipedia Wikipedia
Carver’s contributions to peanut agriculture — History.com HISTORY
George Washington Carver agricultural legacy — National Peanut Board National Peanut Board