Spain is the biggest producer of olive oil in the world. And we use it quite a lot (note: of you haven't tasted it, try bread with some olive oil and tomato).

Heavily consumed in Portugal too. Already bunch of news around about how expensive oil is going to be. Totally the new normal. It's not surprising crops going crazy with weird weather, both too much and sudden rain coupled with crazy drought. Last year we already got similar situation.

Which shows the issue. People aren't stealing out of a profit motive, or "criminal energy". They steal, because they struggle to afford living.

Detergent was targeted because it has appealing qualities to it and stores weren't putting that much energy in stopping it.

Detergent doesn't spoil or melt like steak or chocolate.

In some markets, it is relatively easy to flip. It was also being used as a way to launder money, since you could ship stolen detergent into Mexico to be sold in Mexico. No one was really tracking detergent shipments into Mexico.

You've got a point there. Perhaps olive oil is an ingredient so beloved in Spain that it would make sense for them? I dunno.

Well the secret is chugging the full gallon and regurgitating it when you get home, no one suspects a thing!

One simply needs to douse themselves in a bottle of the oil and nobody will be able to catch them.

It’s ingenious.