PUBLISHED ONMay 06, 2026 9:10 AMBYEsther LamA shop owner made a police report after a woman allegedly cut off the leaves of a aloe vera plant outside her shop on Tuesday (May 5).
The incident happened at Seemralicious Beauty Shop, Block 166 Woodlands Street, at around 8.30am.
The owner and managing director of the shop, Seemren Krishnamoorthy, posted surveillance footage of the incident on Instagram the same day, asking for help in identifying the culprit.
They were "not just stolen... but destroyed", the caption in the more than one-minute video read.
"Who walks into a small business and butchers our aloe vera plants like this?"
In the video, a woman dressed in a black shirt, grey shorts and slippers is seen approaching the plant with a knife and plastic bag in hand.
She then cuts the leaves off the plant until there are hardly any left before packing up the spoils in her bag and leaving.
"Please make this plant thief viral. Butchering my aloe vera plant (that) we spent so much time on," the video said. "You bloody well come and apologise before I make a police report."
Seemren told AsiaOne that the plant cost about $80 and she had been caring for it for about one and a half years.
She added that it is the first time such an incident has happened and that she had not encountered the woman before.
"She came to the shop (on Tuesday evening) to apologise when I was not around. My staff told her to contact me but I still have not received a call," said Seemren, adding that she has since filed a police report.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and that they are looking into the matter.
"Wah she plan very long already, got bag and knife inside somemore, she target very long liao, please make a report dear. She will do to others also," wrote one netizen.
Another wrote: "It takes hard work to nurture a plant from scratch and when someone does this, it's really frustrating and sickening.. she can get aloe stems from the market or NTUC! Why resort to this!"
"Not condoning what she did but don’t throw the plant away. Aloe is quite hardy and would regrow!"
Some even shared their own experiences with similar incidents.
"I have such (a) neighbour too! Caught red handed but came back again and again. ... We let her off but it’s getting out of hand. Need to teach these people a lesson."
One netizen attempted to play the devil’s advocate, pointing out that the woman “didn’t kill the plant,” and wrote: "She took some leaves maybe to replant or to make something useful or therapeutic. Such a simple issue. Speak to her. We need to be a kinder community. Spread love."
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