Approximately 600 melons went missing from an agricultural greenhouse on the 5th of this month in Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which ranks number one in the country in melon production by city, town, and village, and police are investigating the matter, suspecting it was stolen.
Around 7 a.m. on the 5th of this month, a 52-year-old farmer in Hokota City reported to the police that his melons had been stolen.
According to the police, melons are grown in approximately 30 greenhouses at this farm, and melons that were about to be harvested were picked from three of these greenhouses.
The damage amounted to approximately 600 balls, which is equivalent to 600,000 yen.
When the farmer checked the house the previous day, around 5:30 pm on the 4th, there were no abnormalities.
According to the investigation so far, the house was not locked, and the police are investigating the house, suspecting that someone broke in during the night and morning and stole the melons.
According to Ototoshi no Kuni statistics, Hokota City ranks number one in the country in melon production by municipality, and shipments for this season had just begun in April.
In Ibaraki Prefecture, crops are often stolen every year, and police are calling for stronger crime prevention measures, such as installing security cameras and lights that turn on when sensors detect someone's intrusion.