Thieves On The Prowl For ‘Wave Of Love’
Cables, cars, jewellery, mobile phones … thieves are tired of stealing them and are now after the “Wave of Love”.
It’s a species of decorative flower plant called “Gelombang Cinta”. And the reason behind the flower plant being targeted by thieves is simple. It’s pricey.
Prices start from $35 and reach more than $2,000. Its close “cousin” — Gelombang Hookery — costs as much as $8,000.
While many enthusiasts constantly search for it at nurseries, so too are thieves as prices have skyrocketed to thousands of dollars since a few months ago. It became a hit in the Sultanate before the fasting month this year.
The police told the Bulletin yesterday that to date, five pots have been stolen in two separate cases, the latest being in Kg Sengkarong where two pots were stolen from an avid collector.
The distressed owner lodged a police report at the Sengkurong Police Station and told the Bulletin that prior to their disappearance, a customer came asking for the selling price, but the owner was reluctant to sell.
Tina, who runs a nursery at Rimba Horticulture in Gadong, said there were over 1,700 species of the plant ranging from Ratu Serkit, Anthurium Keris, Jenmanii, Black Beauty and Hookery besides Gelombang Cinta. The Gelombang Hookery costs $8,000.
Two other vendors who wished to remain anonymous said young Gelombong Cinta with two to three leaves costs around $35 and could reach more than $2,000 depending on its height and length of the leaves.
They said the plant is mostly available in Gadong market on Friday and Sunday. “Some opt to keep them inside the house as the sun sets or in the verandah or nurse them like a baby,” the vendor added.
Bulletin learnt that a case has been reported whereby a vendor who refused to sell a plant for over $15,000 saw it go missing a day later and eventually sold at the Gadong market much to his chagrin.
Gelombang Cinta is one of the Anthurium species. The plant has its own speciality and uniqueness even though it doesn’t bloom. Its uniqueness is found in its thick leaves with waving edges like “keris” or a Malay dagger.
In Indonesia, where the craze started, the plant costs millions of rupiah. — Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
