crime

3,000 tropical fish die after fish tanks shattered at Tokyo store

24 Comments

Police said Wednesday that 3,000 tropical fish died after someone shattered all the fish tanks at a store in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Sunday. The damage to the store is estimated at over 3 million yen.

Police said the vandalism occurred around 6 a.m., according to a NTV news report. The owner of the store, which stays open until early morning, told police that he had seen a strange man enter the shop and suddenly leave again around 3 a.m.

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24 Comments
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As some have already stated, breaking so many tanks would make a lot of noise, and not to mention would take some time for one person to do (ie. one person couldn't do it in a few seconds and flee). Maybe yakuza, or an insurance scam? I dunno.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It sounds lke the suspicious man was casing out the joint, and not laying some kind of time bomb, as the article implies to my warped perception.

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T_rex.... By having a reason to vandalize, does it make it ok?

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I've slept with some of those fishes... :(

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a cruel act. hope they catch the person(s) responsible.

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Man, I hate people that just vandalize things with apparently no real reason. What did the fishes ever do to this man?

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Those poor innocent fish!

Killing innocent animals is unforgivable. I hope karma catches up with whoever did this.

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Police received a call around 6AM from the owner stating that all his fish tanks in his store were shattered. The owner closed shop around 3:30AM and went home. He later got a call from the owner of the building who heard glass shattering, and he immediately returned to the shop to find the fish tanks broken and all the fish dead. Police found four full 2 liter PET bottles that may have been used to break the glass in the shop. The owner told police he did see a suspicious looking man outside his shop around 3AM.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Horrible. I have been doing a coral reef project with my daughter this summer. and we have learned loads about tropical fish and threats to their environment. Seems we have to add "crazy man with baseball bat" to the list. Im not going to tell her this news, she would be devastated. Its a special kind of sub-human that harms someone or something so defenceless.

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"The owner of the store, which stays open until early morning, told police that he had seen a strange man enter the shop and suddenly leave again around 3 a.m. "

Was he in the store at the time or somewhere else when he saw the man enter? If the former, why on earth didn't he HEAR something as and then just wait for the guy mosey out of the shop?

Something's dodgy.

And yes, cleo, it is odd that a fish store stays open so late.

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That's so sad, and so entirely stupid. Where could those fish have run? what could they have done? I hope they catch the guy and lock him up for a stint.

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By the way commentators, there is no such thing as a tax right off in Japan, the Japanese tax system does not work like that....

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Sounds like he wasn't pay the local yakuza protection money... either way not cool.

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sounds fishy to me....

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The damage to the store is estimated at over 3 million yen.

seems 'reasonable' and likely to get Prompt Money (insurance claim) without much paperwork. He would also like to convey RIP...

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Police said the vandalism occurred around 6 a.m., according to a NTV news report. The owner of the store, which stays open until early morning, told police that he had seen a strange man enter the shop and suddenly leave again around 3 a.m.

Sounds fishy...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I feel really sorry for those fish. RIP

Yes indeed. That is one sick individual.

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I think the police filed the report around 6AM. Don't know why the guy would have his shop open so early.

Looks like it was not one big tank, as I first assumed, but many small tanks. See here (in Japanese): http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlines/articles/CONN00205558.html

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Why does a tropical fish shop have to stay open till early morning?

Loads, and i mean loads of people, cleo, go on their first date to aquariums. But they are not everywhere, so those tropical fish shops are next up in line. I feel really sorry for those fish. RIP

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My guess is the store owner is on hard times for sales, wrecked the tanks and will put in a big claim for insurance!

Tax write-off and dinner.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Why does a tropical fish shop have to stay open till early morning?

Whoever did this needs to have his head held under water while someone counts s-l-o-w-l-y to 3,000.

Mindless, wanton cruelty and vandalism.

6 ( +9 / -2 )

The vandalism occurred around 6am, but the 'strange man' left the store at 3am? I don't buy this. My guess is the store owner is on hard times for sales, wrecked the tanks and will put in a big claim for insurance!

-2 ( +3 / -4 )

finding nemo is easier now

toilet bowl heaven

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

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