Two Chinese arrested for stealing precious Haworthia plants, as thefts of cactus-like collectibles spike in Japan

Japanese growers of sought-after Haworthia plants have been warned to take measures to protect their prized specimens after the arrest of two Chinese nationals over the theft of hundreds of the collectible succulent plants.

The two men, who have not been identified, were arrested in separate incidents in April and July of this year, but Dr Masahiko Hayashi, president of the Haworthia Society of Japan, said thefts have been going on for a year.

“There have been 18 cases of plants being stolen that we are aware of, going back to August of last year,” he said.

“The arrests make it obvious that Chinese organised crime groups based here in Japan are behind these thefts, largely because the very best specimens are worth around Y1 million (HK$76,925) here, but maybe two or three times that amount in China,” he said.

Native to South Africa, the cactus-like plants are popular for their unique shapes, with the most valuable the result of generations of breeding to create the perfect plant.

The 150-strong society estimates that plants worth more than HK$100 million have been stolen from growers across the country, said Dr Hayashi, who has around 20,000 plants of his own and has been growing Haworthia since 1945.