A thief has been captured on video walking into a Chinese takeaway in Chatham, Kent, and stealing a 'lucky' money tree before fleeing in a getaway car. The money tree, also known as Pachira aquatica, had been given to Hongyan Zhu, the owner of Bill's Kitchen, by her father when she took over the business 15 years ago.
Incident Details
Ms Zhu stated that she and her team were working in the kitchen on Monday evening and did not hear anything during the theft. The footage shows a woman entering the restaurant and approaching the plant before gesturing to another woman sitting in a parked car outside. A man then enters, takes the plant, and exits with the woman who was already inside, loading it into the car.
'Three people arrived in a dark blue car. One woman came in first and looked around,' Ms Zhu recounted. 'Then a man came in, picked up my money tree, and walked straight out. They put it into the car and all left together. The whole thing only took a few minutes. We were busy in the kitchen, so we didn't hear anything. They didn't order anything - they just came in, took the plant, and left.'
Sentimental Value
Ms Zhu, who has reported the incident to the police, emphasised the deep personal value of the money tree. 'This plant has been there since I took over the shop. It was a special opening gift from my father, wishing us good fortune. I've taken great care of it over the years. It's very hard for me to accept. I just hope the person will return it, because its value cannot really be measured.'
The money tree is a popular houseplant often associated with good luck and prosperity, commonly kept in homes and businesses, particularly in Chinese culture, as a symbol of wealth and fortune. The Daily Mail has approached Kent Police for comment.
