It's the $10 million heist you've never heard of. In a matter of months, dozens of truckloads disappeared from American highways. But what were they carrying? Nuts. Marc Fennell takes you into a rabbit-hole of crime syndicates, stolen identities and private investigators that will change the way you think about food forever. 80% of the world's almonds are grown in the heart of California but this journey will take you to Italy; the Spanish coast; deep under the earth; and even into space.
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(Audible Original, 1 June 2020, 4 hours, @audibleuk Original Podcast, free with membership)
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I really enjoyed Nut Jobs. Like all Audible Original Podcasts, this is a well-made, engaging production. Fennell has really done his research and I was fascinated listening to this. I'd no idea stealing nuts let alone of the magnitude of the thefts discussed here was even a thing. Nut fraud, seriously? What impressed me is that Fennell tries to consider all viewpoints including the farmers who grew the stolen nuts and the drivers who unwittingly transported the stolen goods, taking the view that not everyone involved in these heists is a bad guy. He speaks to one man, a freelance driver actually convicted for fraud. He confessed because his lawyer told him he would be given a lenient sentence. His lawyer lied. He knew something was fishy about the job but still took it. He needed the money. This doesn't make him a hardened criminal. This is well written, engaging and thought-provoking.
