Police in the southern Spanish city of Seville have arrested five people for allegedly stealing 4000 kilograms of oranges from a nearby town.

The group, travelling in two cars, caught the attention of police when their cars were driving close together.

After pulling the cars over, police discovered both vehicles were packed full of oranges, both loose and in bags, and without labels.

There was no paper trail for how the group attained the oranges. Instead the group claimed the fruit “came from far away” and that they “had been picking them up from the ground”.

None of the oranges had labelling on them. Photo: Twitter/ EmergenciaSev

Police then got word a shipment of oranges from the nearby town of Carmona had been reported stolen.

Spain produces about half of all of the European Union’s oranges, according to Eurostat.

Local police are still investigating.

Police packed the oranges into their van to for investigation. Photo: Twitter/ EmergenciaSev

-ABC