TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A batch of valuable orchids worth NT$1 million (US$31,460) were stolen from an orchid nursery at the end of last month, with police reviewing surveillance footage to eventually recover the orchids and arrest two suspects living in Yilan County on Thursday (March 14).
Fifty pots of rare orchids were taken from an orchid nursery in Tainan’s Madou District. Upon learning his rare orchids were missing, the owner of the nursery contacted local police, per UDN.
Tainan City Police Department Madou Precinct Captain Tsai Ming-chun (蔡鳴峻) addressed local media on Tuesday (March 19), noting the police precinct received a report on Feb. 27 that valuable orchids had been stolen the previous evening. This led the precinct to form a special investigative team.
After reviewing surveillance footage, one suspicious vehicle was identified. Police officers then made several trips to Yilan County to continue their investigation, which would lead to the arrest of an individual surnamed Li (李) and later another individual surnamed Lin (林).
Tsai said the task force first went to Yilan County’s Luodon to arrest Li on Thursday (March 14). Later, they traveled to nearby Dongshan Township to arrest Lin.
It was the visit to Lin’s farm that uncovered the 50 pots of stolen orchids, which were found in an abandoned greenhouse. Police investigators also learned that Lin knew the owner of the rare orchids. He frequently traveled between Yilan and Tainan to view orchids.
When the owner of the stolen orchids was notified that arrests had been made and asked to identify his recovered orchids, he was shocked to learn that the suspect was one of his regular customers. He thanked the police for their assistance and work in recovering the orchids.
The case is now being transferred to the Tainan District Prosecutor's Office for the charge of aggravated theft.