Approximately 5,000 peaches were stolen this week from an orchard in Fuefuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, just before they were due to be picked.
Police said they received a call from a grower at around 3 p.m. on June 21 who noticed that around 5,000 peaches were missing, local media reported. The peaches are a variety called Misaka Hakuho. The value of the stolen fruit was estimated at 1.5 million yen.
Police said tire tracks were discovered on white sheets placed underneath the peach trees to reflect sunlight and improve the fruit’s coloring. Additionally, the tire tracks were found near the orchard’s entranceway.
Famers typically harvest the peaches by carefully plucking the fruit from the branches. However, tree branches at the crime scene were broken, with peaches still attached to some of them. Leaves were also scattered about.
Police said there have been a series of peach thefts reported since June in Fuefuki and Yamanashi city, with losses estimated at 3.87 million yen.
© Japan Today
29 Comments
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albaleo
I think you mean one third of the minimum hourly pay.
Kumagaijin
It shouldn't be too hard to find the perps. If the police examine enough video surveillance from combinis and private citizens, they will be sure enough to spot some kei truck or other vehicle that doesn't normally drive through the area. It shouldn't be too hard to spot some vehicle like a van or truck driving away from Fuefuki in the wee hours of the night. Ganbatte Keisatsukan!
virusrex
Sad to see farmers losing so much to thieves. I hope there is some kind of insurance against these thefts, but seeing how much insurance companies charge in Japan it may not make economic sense to get a policy.
kurisupisu
No way the farmer would have received 300 yen a peach-that is the shop price
garymalmgren
Melons. Cherries. Rice. Apples. Watermelons. Grapes and Peaches.
i have said it before and I will say it again.
One barking dog!!!!
and the problem is solved.
hattorikun
So bad to hear this
Lindsay
It’d be impossible to trace these peaches. They’ll be on market shelves in the coming weeks.
Theft of fruit and vegetables happens a lot in Japan but you never hear of anyone being caught or prosecuted.
Nippori Nick
I think some of the farmers need to take steps to combat this.
Put up big signs under video surveillance (even though it really is not, and put up a few fake cameras). A few guard dogs wouldn't hurt either.
Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne
With a crop that valuable they should of had surveillance cameras or other contingency strategy.
noriahojanen
To date there are 9400 in total, more than 5,000 peaches stolen while police investigations are underway.
Almost concurrently many peaches have appeared on sale at Mercari online marketplace. Some of their ad text messages are written in unsophisticated Japanese.
山梨県内で約9400個の桃が盗難→直後に不審な桃が出品で大騒動に。“売り逃げ”疑惑も対応の鈍いメルカリに「上場企業と思えぬ体たらく」と批判殺到
https://www.mag2.com/p/money/1202093
rcch
” They’re not from Georgia, though. “
But seriously, good luck to the poor guy…
rcch
They’re not from Georgia, though.
sf2k
Looks like a good lead there, but oh well it's not like the police are capable of doing anything
ClippetyClop
@Kumagijin, in Fuefuki every other vehicle is a 'Tanbo Porsche', you can't drive a hundred yards without one of them jumping out in front of you and ruining your drive.
WA4TKG
We know who did it the last time... start looking there
Paul
Haven't bought a single peach in 25 years, toooooo expensive!
justasking
And the police will blame it on them.
Mr Kipling
Or a trip wire and Claymores..... then clean up the mess in the morning!
WA4TKG
Mr Kipling, that's too much of a mess on the peaches.
Just Flares should be good...or fragmentation grenades
Wesley
How high the prices are set is the owner's business. It's not an excuse for filthy thieves to steal other people's things.
People don't seem to understand the amount of care & effort it takes to grow fruits & vegetables.
starpunk
With inflation and the pandemic still raging, this is the last thing any farmer needs! I hope those thieves get caught and soon.
Sanjinosebleed
Probably be sold off the back of a truck at a train station! I remember when living in Japan seeing some “questionable” characters selling watermelons an other fruits off the back of a truck at my local. He was nervous and in a hurry. Keystone cops in Japan are never going to catch these guys sadly. The peaches are probably already sold and eaten!
juminRhee
Mr Kipling
June 24 09:49 pm JST One barking dog!!!! and the problem is solved.
Or a trip wire and Claymores..... then clean up the mess in the morning!
Pukey2
I've bought a few from vendors outside train stations! Cheaper. Wonder where they came from.
noriahojanen
Two foreigners were arrested last June for stealing 95 peaches.
モモを盗んだ疑い 細江署が外国籍2人逮捕
2021.6.12
https://www.at-s.com/sp/news/article/shizuoka/914382.html?lbl=604
Mr Kipling
JiminRhee......
Really? PC gone mad... :)
Spitfire
@Virursrex,
'Sad to see farmers losing so much to thieves.'
But when one peach costs about a third of the national average hourly rate of pay,you can kind of understand why this happens.
The young have two choices,either slave away at a crappy job for an hour,risking harassment and other work-related trouble or just simply take a few peaches from a tree.
Sadly,I think we will see this trend increasing exponentially in the future.
Especially with the divide between the haves and have nots becoming ever wider even as we speak.
Mr Kipling
¥300 per peach! The thieves are not going to get anywhere near that amount. Then they have to split the spoils between however many crooks were involved... Doesn't seem worth the risk of prison or deportation back to South East Asia.