Police arrest man for stealing 26 yen (22 cents) of electricity

The Japanese police sure are busy putting tax dollars to work these days:

HAKODATE, Hokkaido — A 41-year-old man who stole several yen worth of electricity from a lamp to power his squid-fishing lights on a quay here has been arrested, police said.

Investigators said that the man, whose name has been withheld, connected an electric cord to the current stabilizer of a mercury lamp on a quay operated by the Hakodate Municipal Government for about 40 minutes on Sunday. Using a converter, he reduced the voltage from 100 volts to 12 volts, and powered two 12 volt, 80 watt fishing lights with the stolen electricity.

Police turned up at the scene after receiving an anonymous tip, and arrested the man. They plan to send him to public prosecutors on Tuesday, accusing him of theft.

“Regardless of the amount, his actions, such as preparing his own homemade lights, were calculated and devious,” a police official said, commenting on the reason for the arrest.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. officials said that the fee for using 160 watts of energy on a temporary basis would incur a charge of about 26 yen for the minimum period of one day. Since transformers also use up electricity, the amount of damages is expected to be slightly higher.

The man reportedly attached the lights powered by the stolen electricity to a fishing-rod stand to attract squid, and caught about a dozen.

If that’s not a story worthy of the front page at Mainichi Shinbun’s website, I don’t know what is!