TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The tireless efforts of the Taipei police to crack a case of petty larceny paid off, as they returned a large bag of stolen garlic to a man left troubled by its absence, leaving no stone unturned in their search, according to a news release issued by the Beitou Precinct on April 9.

When Officer Zhang Sheng-fu (張勝富) was on duty at 6 p.m. on April 2, a man came into Shipai Station to report that a bag of garlic he had placed in an empty lot behind his house was stolen. The vegetables had been a gift from one of the man's relatives in southern Taiwan.

Even though the garlic was inexpensive, it had some sentimental value for the man, since he associated it with his kindly relative who had hauled it up to Taipei. Brooding on the symbolism of his loss, the man worked up the indignation to alert the authorities.

The police received the complaint with a surprising level of seriousness; they began to check the surveillance cameras around the crime scene for possible clues.

After viewing the public security cameras, the officer assigned to the case hit a wall: not even a trace of a suspect. Remarkably, the officer then used his vacation time to investigate further, obtaining footage from private surveillance cameras. His determination paid off and the thief was nabbed.

The victim praised the police for cracking the case in a timely fashion, adding that he was thankful for their uncompromising attitude toward right and wrong.

The Beitou Precinct reminded the public to call 110 if they encounter anything needing police assistance — however big or small.