FUKUSHIMA (TR) – Police are hunting for brazen fruit thieves who stripped orchards bare of hundreds of peaches just moments before they were due to be harvested in Fukushima and Aomori prefectures, reports Nippon News Network (Aug. 28).
In Date City, Fukushima Prefecture, a farmer was met with torn branches and a devastated crop upon returning to his orchard on the morning of August 27. Approximately 600 peaches, valued at around 180,000 yen, had been plucked from the trees.
The farmer had left the orchard after finishing work the previous evening, indicating the thieves struck under the cover of darkness. Police have accepted a damage report and are ramping up neighborhood patrols as they investigate the crime.
However, the agricultural poaching wasn’t limited to Fukushima.
In Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, thieves targeted Odagiri Farm. The culprits completely stripped one of the farm’s 30 peach trees, making off with about 50 peaches worth roughly 18,000 yen. The theft was especially devastating as the farmer had deliberately delayed the harvest until the last possible moment to ensure the fruit reached peak sweetness.
“It’s just pure anger, wondering why they were taken,” said Ryo Odagiri, the farm’s owner. “Since I make my living selling fruit, having this happen makes life truly difficult. I want them to return the peaches they stole.”
Police are currently investigating the Aomori incident as a case of theft.
