TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A distressed farmer made a report to the police in Yunlin County after discovering his cabbage patch had become empty overnight, and the police arrested 11 women at the scene, some still in the middle of “harvesting,” CNA reported on Wednesday (Nov. 17).

The cabbage farmer, surnamed Hsu (許), told reporters that due to the weather this year, the quality of his produce was bad and suffered pests. However, he was able to strike a deal with a wholesaler and planned to harvest the cabbage in the hope that he would recover some of his losses.

Hsu estimated that the cabbage patch caused him to incur a total cost of over NT$200,000 (US$7,191), CNA reported.

When he arrived at his farm on Wednesday morning, over 20,000 cabbages on his 7,756-square-meter field had disappeared, while around seven or eight people continued to hack away.

The police arrested 11 women aged between 50 and 60 who claimed that they gathered and brought tools to harvest the cabbages for themselves under the belief that the field had been abandoned and opened for free harvest. The police seized 89 cabbages, four scythes, and one knife at the scene, per CNA.

Hsu put up a sign reading “Not open for self-harvest,” after the incident, while the women will be charged with theft.

Police seize 89 cabbages. (CNA photo)