TOKYO (TR) – A nationwide wave of water meter thefts is sweeping across the nation as perpetrators target vacant apartments to cash in on soaring copper prices, leaving local police and municipalities struggling to halt the crime spree, reports Jiji Press (May 7).
The meters, which weigh roughly 2 kilograms and contain a high concentration of copper alloy, are being stripped and sold to scrap metal dealers. With the price of copper continuing to climb, a single stolen meter can fetch between 1,800 and 2,000 yen.
According to industry insiders, the thefts require minimal effort. Armed with just a wrench, an experienced thief can detach a meter in under a minute.
Empty apartments
In Shizuoka Prefecture alone, a staggering 449 meters were stolen between March and April from municipal housing complexes across seven cities, including Shizuoka and Fujieda. The thefts exclusively targeted empty apartments and only came to light after authorities investigated water leaks.
A senior prefectural police official highlighted the calculated nature of the thefts. “Because the rooms are unoccupied, the discovery of the crime is easily delayed,” the official said. “While the payout per meter is cheap, it is a crime aimed at a low risk of getting caught.”
Tokyo Metropolitan Police recently took action in Tokyo, arresting two unemployed men on suspicion of theft after more than 50 meters were stripped from seven buildings in a Sumida Ward public housing complex last November. The duo reportedly fenced the stolen goods at a Tokyo metal buy-back shop on the very same day. Despite the arrests, the trend continues; in April, authorities discovered another 31 meters stolen from a public housing complex in Machida City.
Massive scale
The sheer volume of stolen government property in some areas is massive. In Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, officials filed a police report in late March after discovering 1,341 meters had been snatched from a storage facility at a local water purification plant. Meanwhile, Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture has reported 143 stolen meters from apartment complexes since February.
Detached houses are also falling victim to the trend, with Hatsukaichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture reporting thefts from private residences late last year.
While municipalities are urging scrap dealers to remain vigilant and are attempting to step up local patrols, officials admit they are fighting an uphill battle against the fast-acting thieves.
“Water is distributed across the entire region, and we can’t constantly patrol every single home,” a Hiroshima waterworks official lamented. “Strengthening checks during regular meter readings is the absolute limit of what we can do.”
