A couple whose porch was hit by repeated plant thefts and who had little help from police, have been praised online after they took matters into their own hands with clever use of technology.
The alleged thief began removing potted philodendrons at night earlier this year, but police were unable to do anything because there was insufficient evidence.
So Adelaide’s husband and wife decided to use high-tech equipment (security cameras and tracking devices) to track down the culprit.
“I decided to go all out. I bought a pack of Apple Airtags and planted them in the prettiest plants I had left,” the plant’s owners posted on Reddit.
“It was quiet for a month and a half and then she showed up again at 11pm two days ago.”
A couple whose porch was hit by repeated plant thefts and who had little help from police took matters into their own hands with the ingenious use of technology. The alleged thief appears in the photo.
After that last alleged theft, the owner was able to find where he had been taken thanks to the Airtag tracker.
After surveilling the house, the white car seen in the security camera images confirmed to them that they had found the correct address and who the culprit was.
“I immediately provided the address and license plate and updated my case with the police,” they said.
Then on Wednesday, after months of plant thefts, the owner claimed a “patrol team of three officers” told them they were going to “recover the plants.”
‘They went to the house, but no one opened the door, so they checked the backyard and found those plants,’ he said.
‘The (alleged) thieves transplanted two plants, but the patrols were still able to recognize them.
“After getting approval, two other officers arrived in a van and returned those plants to me.”
A police spokesperson said officers “were alerted that, after a resident had several potted plants stolen from the front of his home in recent weeks, the victim had attached an Airtag to a new potted plant, which had also been stolen.
‘Police located the plants at an address in Blair Athol yesterday, Wednesday 27 March, and were able to return them to the owner.
“Investigations are ongoing,” the spokesperson told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
The successful private investigations carried out by the couple have been praised by commentators in publications about the case.
“You are an absolute legend,” said one.
The alleged thief appears running away from the scene of another plant theft.
“I would love to hear the end result of the thieves getting what they deserve in court,” wrote another.
“There is so much injustice perpetrated by idiots these days that we can’t do anything about it; it’s very satisfying to know when a good outcome finally occurs.”
“I applaud you for your perseverance and hard work.”
Others kept their praise simple and direct, with one writing: “Well done.” That’s excellent detective work.
