Thief Drops Phone in Passion-Fruit Orchard, Prompting Jokes About Trading an Apple for Passion Fruit

A suspected passion-fruit thief may have left behind more than stolen produce after dropping a silver iPhone in an orchard in Puli, Taiwan. A resident posted photos in a local Facebook group showing the phone alongside red and green passion fruit hanging from a net, saying the device had been sent to a police station.

The post quickly drew attention. Several users joked that the farmer had made an “Apple for passion fruit” exchange. Others called the phone a piece of evidence that could help police unlock it, identify its owner and investigate the alleged theft.

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A thief visited the passion-fruit orchard and conveniently left behind a phone. It has already been sent to the police station.

One commenter suggested the phone might belong to a customer who had visited the orchard at night and left it behind to pay through Line Pay. The poster rejected that explanation, replying, “I found this at my home. There is no story like the one you described!” Other users called the alleged thief foolish for leaving evidence behind, while the group’s administrator joked that the phone was old and a newer model would have made the exchange more worthwhile.

Puli has more than 500 hectares devoted to passion-fruit cultivation. The area enters its production season in the second half of the year, but drought and high temperatures in early spring, followed by heavy rain and typhoons as summer began, damaged the crop. First-season output fell by as much as 40 percent, and prices rose. Some online users speculated that the lower supply and higher prices may have encouraged the theft.

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I found this at my home. There is no story like the one you described!