AICHI (TR) – Nagoya City has officially launched a crackdown on the theft of recyclable aluminum cans, confronting a suspected Chinese national and engaging in a brief pursuit of a fleeing vehicle on the very first day of the new ordinance, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 5).
The new regulations, which came into effect in October, introduce strict penalties for individuals who scavenge recyclable garbage from municipal collection points. Under the new rules, repeat offenders can face hefty fines of up to 500,000 yen. Similar penal ordinances are already strictly enforced across many municipalities in Tokyo.
On October 1, city officials staked out a local garbage collection site where a woman, believed to be a Chinese national, was known to scavenge for cans on a weekly basis. The suspect soon arrived wearing gloves, grabbed a bag full of aluminum cans, and attempted to walk away.
Officials immediately intervened, utilizing a smartphone translation app to confront her.
“This is Nagoya City Hall. What were you just doing?” an official asked.
The woman quickly returned the bag of cans to its original spot and bowed repeatedly.
“Starting today, if you repeat this, you will be fined,” the official warned.
“I won’t do it. I have no money,” the woman pleaded.
Written warning
Despite her promises, authorities noted the woman is a chronic offender who has ignored multiple warnings in the past. After being handed a formal written warning, she prepared to leave on her bicycle—which was already loaded with a massive haul of aluminum cans.
Because officials only witnessed her taking the single bag at that specific site, they were forced to let her leave with the rest of her haul.
“There are still cans on her bicycle, but we can only make her unload what she took right here,” explained Minoru Togashi, Assistant Section Chief of the Nagoya Environmental Affairs Bureau. “She probably took them from elsewhere, but we have no proof.”
Repeat offenders
The city’s crackdown also targets organized scavengers operating in vehicles. Later that day, officials attempted to pursue a known repeat offender after receiving a report from a separate patrol team that a theft had just occurred. However, the suspect managed to shake off the pursuit, taking a quick turn and fleeing before the city vehicle could pull them over.
Moving forward, the city intends to escalate its enforcement. “If we can narrow down the times and locations to some extent, we want to conduct focused patrols to prevent these theft operations,” Togashi said.
