Japanese man, 85, arrested for stealing condoms
By Carl Samson
An 85-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly shoplifting two packs of condoms from a convenience store in central Japan over the weekend.
The incident, which has made national headlines, occurred at the unidentified store in Gifu City at around 11 a.m. on Sunday, according to reports.
The senior suspect, identified as Ko Sasaki, did not have a fixed address, police said. He also claimed to be self-employed.
The store manager allegedly saw Sasaki pocket the condoms and stopped him as he was about to leave. Another employee then called the police.
Reports say the condoms cost 2,000 yen (around $14). Sasaki reportedly admitted to his actions, but a motive is still being determined as of Monday.
A total of 158,020 shoplifting incidents were reported in Japan in 2004, as per its National Police Agency. The figure dropped to 93,812 by 2019, but cases of stolen items sold online rose from 73 to 727, according to The Mainichi.
Last November, a 77-year-old woman was arrested in Sapporo after allegedly shoplifting grocery items worth 1,236 yen (around $9), as per Japan Today. A security guard followed her outside the store and detained her until authorities arrived.
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