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Kicker: Sugar smugglers

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WORLD Radio - Kicker: Sugar smugglers

Americans traveling to Israel caught bringing hundreds of pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups into the country following a TikTok influencer’s post led to massive demand


NICK EICHER, HOST: In recent weeks Israeli customs has confiscated some dangerous contraband.

SOUND: [SOMEONE GOING THROUGH SUITCASES]

Hear that? Agents are opening suitcase after suitcase packed with nothing but Fruit Roll-Ups. Americans went to Israel trying to sneak in more than 600 pounds worth of this candy that in Israel is much-in-demand but low in supply.

Driving demand was this Israeli social media influencer on TikTok.

INFLUENCER: My Fruit Roll-Ups, and I'm gonna have some ice cream inside.

Ice cream turns Fruit Roll-Ups crisp, which, if you know anything about Fruit Roll-Ups, well, it just seems impossible.

SOUND: [CRUNCH]

Israeli stores can’t keep them in stock. And that’s creating a black market, where prices are known to reach $6 for a single Fruit Roll-up.

So those suitcases at 650 pounds of product, I’m estimating they had well over $100K street value on less than $10K in real cost.

Be warned, 11 pounds is the maximum limit for bringing in food. Don’t do it. We’re not clear what happened to the smugglers.

Anyway, the Israeli Health Ministry is cautioning people about the sugar concentration and are publicly recommending cucumber roll-ups instead.

I’m not seeing it. People who eat candy-wrapped ice cream treats aren’t in the market for cucumbers.

It’s The World and Everything in It.


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