A Singaporean woman devoted a year to growing 15 star fruits in a community garden at Punggol Park, only to lose all but three to a thief who stole them just as they were ready for harvest.
The owner of the tree, named Wang (transliteration), shared with Shin Min Daily News that she had planted the star fruit tree in the community garden at the intersection of Hougang Avenue 8 and Avenue 10 in March of last year.
She had been anticipating the harvest of her star fruits on April 4, 2023, but was dismayed to find that 12 of them had gone missing the following day.
When Wang approached the authorities for assistance, they informed her that they had viewed the CCTV footage and suspected that a person wearing a helmet and mask was responsible for the theft. Wang was not alone in her experience; other gardeners had their bitter gourds and celery stolen.
Theft in the community garden is a frequent occurrence, as individuals frequently enter the garden under the false assumption that everything is "free to pick," despite the presence of warning signs.
Wang once saw someone ready to loot the garden with pails and bags, and when she tried to intervene, the thief claimed to be the "garden owner."
The gardeners had attempted various measures to deter theft, such as covering their gardening area with a "lock box." Wang chose to cover her star fruits with a bag to prevent others from discerning their ripeness.
Despite her efforts, Wang's hard work was in vain, and she hopes that the authorities will take action to remedy the situation. "These people are too brazen, but there's nothing we can do," she lamented.
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