Shoplifting has long been an issue in Japan with retail staff going to great lengths to combat it, such as being dragged by cars or covering the entire ceiling with security cameras. And despite all this, the problem not only continues, but appears to be getting bolder as an arrest by Fukuoka Prefectural Police has shown.
On June 16, at a Geo electronics store in Onojo City, a 23-year-old man entered shortly before midnight, picked up a packaged 49-inch TV, and just walked out the entrance without paying.
Netizens were both shocked and awed by the pure audacity of the act.
“Lol.”
“They probably don’t even bother to put alarm tags on those huge TVs.”
“Did the guy use a fourth dimensional pocket like Doraemon?”
“How did he ever think this was going to work?”
“What a waste of confidence. He could have gone far with that.”
“This country is becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland.”
“Oh no, the Geo in Onojo, yo!”
“Is this even technically shoplifting?”
It should come as no surprise that the Geo staff easily saw this man stroll through the front doors with the appliance weighing 12 kilograms. However, the manager proved to be the truly smooth operator in this incident.
Rather than confronting the suspect and risk damaging the 45,800 yen set, he simply watched as the man loaded it in his car and made a note of the license plate number. After that, he placed a call to the police who easily caught the suspect just as he arrived at his home in neighboring Nakagawa City.
Police intercepted him in the parking area of his home with the TV still inside his car. Caught red-handed, the suspect admitted to the theft saying, “I stole it because I wanted to use it at home.”
Sources: Nishinippon Shimbun, Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Former police drug investigator arrested for drug possession, claims he didn’t know it was drugs
-- Japanese woman arrested after stealing 90,000 yen worth of anime from live-in boyfriend
-- Restaurant manager arrested for armed robbery…of his own restaurant
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2019/06/19/man-in-fukuoka-arrested-for-shoplifting-a-49-inch-tv-weighing-12-kilos/
26 Comments
Login to comment
sensei258
He had stuffed it down the front of his pants and the staff only noticed because he was walking funny
commanteer
This used to be a fairly standard way of lifting TVs. I remember working in a department store when a guy did this. The store manager saw him struggling with the TV and even helped him load it in his car. Pretty embarrassing for him, but those were more innocent days.
kohakuebisu
My only weakness is a list of crime
My only weakness is well never mind, never mind.
Yubaru
Hope they gave him a breathalyzer, just in case. Ya' know to prevent the typical excuse.
JJ Jetplane
This guy is bold. He just walks in, grabs a TV, and then walks out as if no one would notice him carrying a large box. He didn’t even try to hide his face or his license plate.
Strangerland
Not that it would excuse him.
Puff_the_Magic
Original song lyrics?
PerformingMonkey
Why keep going on about 12kgs? The weight of the item isn't the issue here.
Alex Einz
49inch is only 5man yen today.... cheap.. or maybe low quality set
Alex Einz
and assuming people here are not little underage girls, why anyone grown up would have any problem lifting 12kg ?
blvtzpk
I wonder who got the power pack.
itsonlyrocknroll
“I stole it because I wanted to use it at home.”.......... Police should thoroughly investigate the ownership of the vehicle the alleged light fingered so 'n' so used to load the 49-inch TV and drive away.
Maybe he drove the vehicle off a neighbouring dealers forecourt so he "could perceive a means to transport the TV to use at home".
Did the police confirm the artful dodger resided at the address?
garypen
A 49v TV that cost only 5man Yen in Japan IS a low quality set. (It's weird how expensive the better models are in JP compared to the US.)
It's more about the awkward size and shape than the weight.
shogun36
Replace the word "bold" with "an idiot" and then I will fully agree.
I also applaud this guy for going in when there were probably no other customers there, thus making him more visible.
better than him being a scalper I guess.
I want to hear what the employees said as they watch this guy "work." That would've been a youtube vid if there ever was one.
WilliB
That is literal shop lifting, isnt it.
Yosshh
May be he is paying NHK bill without having TV. So he decided to to do this to make them sure that yes i have tv now in my house. LOLLLLLL
Jonathan Prin
An ex-colleague did this !
He made it.
The TV set was probably around 35kgs and he just walk trhough with TV in his trolley.
I am sure many do this without being caught.
The bigger, the easier.
Brian Wheway
In the UK shop lifting or theft as its better known is rife, its a plague that's swept across the UK some time ago, we, sorry the government has reduced the police force to a skeleton service, quite often its drugs related, simply the druggie will walk into a shop take something off the shelf and walk out with it just to pay for his next fix, contractors vans that have tools in for there work are broken into daily, its got to point now where criminals are using metal cutter to slice open roofs, and peal back doors on vans, not only are they steeling power tools it wrecks the contractors van so he can't work for a few weeks, needless to say the cops are thin on the ground and can or won't respond to a call from the public. its just claim off your insurance, but insurance premiums are sky rocketing!, so the person who said “This country is becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” far from it. just think if he lived in a Saudi Arabia or that type of area, he would now have had his hands cut off. It pees me off when these people nick stuff, I hope the cops throw the book at him.
Monozuki
Excellent! :‑)
Sounds like he desperately wanted to watch TV. And the shoplifting literally ended up coming to nothing, but may be in prison. :‑(
seadog538
Give that man a medal for enterprise of spirit!
Charlie Sommers
I once read of two men clad in workman's coveralls carrying a canoe out of a large New York City department store. One had a clipboard clamped under his arm and everyone in the store thought they were delivery people and they left unhindered.
David Varnes
Well, can't be too ready, too early for Kohaku!