Theft in Behesht Zahra
The Behesht Zahra organization has increased surveillance of flower guards to reduce social damages and offenses, including theft.
To reach Behesht Zahra, it doesn’t matter if you pass through the Tanadgouyan Highway or the Persian Gulf, you will definitely encounter flower sellers. Children under 5, adolescents, youth, elderly men, and women over 60 are standing beside the flower stalls.
We stop by the flower seller’s stall, buy a bunch of roses, pick the flowers on the graves, and engage in reciting the Quran and reciting the Fatiha. We leave the grave, but before taking a few more steps, we turn back and see that there is no trace of the flower branches. The disappearance of flowers in the blink of an eye surely requires expertise, skill, and high speed of action.
We are still in the process of stealing vibrant flowers when suddenly we realize that someone in shabby clothes is busy collecting flowers from the tombstone. We keep an eye on him and eventually, after a discreet pursuit operation, we reach the flower seller’s stall. The vibrant flowers are packed in a small plastic bag and sold for 30,000 tomans. Of course, the flower sellers buy them for a lower price than the thieves, most of whom are foreigners and some are addicts.
The CEO of Behesht Zahra organization confirms the presence of flower thieves in the cemetery. Mohammad Javad Tajik says that flower theft has been an ongoing issue in the past, but during this period, we are making efforts, in collaboration with law enforcement forces and colleagues from the social services organization, to collect the thieves and reduce the thefts to a minimum through implemented measures.
According to Tajik, in the new period of city management, in addition to increasing night surveillance and the presence of security guards and city discipline, the mayor has also implemented an increase in the number of CCTV cameras in this complex.