By KHT Staff. Image via KH City Police Dept.
KAOHSIUNG — Police in Kaohsiung have stepped up anti-theft patrols in Dashu District (大樹區) as the harvest enters its peak season, using drones, mobile surveillance cameras, and around-the-clock patrols to protect one of the area’s best-known crops.
The Renwu Precinct said officers on patrol spotted a suspicious small truck parked beside a lychee orchard on May 16 along an industrial road in Dashu. Police said they found a man surnamed Huang (黃) holding two large bags of lychees with a market value of about NT$7,000 and arrested him on suspicion of theft.
Police said the lychee harvest period is short, and the fruit’s high value makes it a common target for thieves. Renwu Precinct chief Hsu Chao-pin (徐釗斌) said the precinct has adopted a three-dimensional patrol strategy on land and in the air, with support from the city’s special police unit and increased patrols during nighttime and dawn hours.
The precinct said it has also secretly installed mobile surveillance cameras along key access roads, farm roads, and blind spots near orchards, with 24-hour recording to help gather evidence. Drones are being used for aerial patrols in Dashu’s hillier areas, where terrain and limited visibility make traditional patrols less effective.
Police urged residents to report suspicious people or vehicles seen near orchards, especially those transporting lychees under suspicious circumstances.
