Bugged plants to track thieves

An Auckland landscape gardener has resorted to a desperate and novel security measure to stop her plants being stolen - microchipped yuccas.

Since June this year North Shore landscape gardener Merryn Webster has had 87 yuccas and flax plants stolen from newly developed commercial spaces.

"We're on to them - we've seen their vehicles - they're on camera," Ms Webster said.

"It just guts me to think people are coming in and helping themselves."

Camera surveillance around the Northbridge Properties buildings in Albany captured a white van scouting the area before the most recent theft of nine yuccas three weeks ago.

Twenty-two yuccas were also stolen in June, and 56 flax plants last month.

Ms Webster said she alerted the police, but there was not enough evidence for them to take the investigation further yet.

So the job of detective has fallen on Ms Webster and the Northbridge Properties' body corporate - which has to pay for replacement of the plants.

One of Ms Webster's yuccas costs up to $150, plus labour costs.

"People who own the buildings now have major problems," she said.

"They have to repurchase the plants, and I have to jolly well plant them again."

Rod Bray of Northbridge Properties said a security company suggested trying to track the plants so they could catch the culprits red-handed.

They have sourced a microchip that will be inserted into randomly selected plants by Christmas.

Mr Bray said for $2000 they could microchip 50 plants.

Ms Webster said she suspected who carried out the crimes.

"We are using good-quality, good size plants, and it's really appealing for other small landscapers and people that know plants.

"They know what they can do with those plants - they know that they can rebag them and have a saleable item within three months."

She said she was "kicking up a fuss" because people were unaware they were receiving stolen goods, either from markets or for landscaping projects.

"We're going to put in some really nice plastic plants - take them ya suckers."

- NZPA