The great Ono oyster heist

Two employees of a fisheries company were arrested by the Japan Coast Guard last December for allegedly stealing thousands of oysters that were being farmed off the coast of Hatsukaichi.

The two suspects are accused of stealing around 5,000 oysters in their shells and about 200 baskets containing oysters from the oyster raft of a rival company in waters off Ono, just west of Miyajima-guchi, on the night of December 16 last year.

After the robbery was reported, based on camera footage, two suspects were arrested on the May 7, and re-arrested on the 27th ,on suspicion of stealing oysters and other items on another occasion in November of last year.

The thefts occurred during last autumn and winter’s much-reported great Seto Inland Sea oyster die-off of.