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A 66-year-old Chinese restaurant owner in Japan has been arrested for stealing 30kg of fish bones worth just 210 yen (S$1.81).
She had allegedly intended to use the waste as feed for farmed fish, which she would later cook and serve at her own restaurant.
Arrested after 3 thefts
According to the South China Morning Post, the woman, surnamed Wu, was accused of stealing tuna loins and bones from Toyosu Market, Tokyo, about 1.5km from her restaurant.
She was caught in the act on her third attempt on Nov. 26, after previously doing the same on Nov. 21 and 22.
According to Tokyo police, surveillance footage caught Wu in arriving on her bicycle at the market’s seafood wholesaler building late at night on Nov. 21.
She allegedly placed the loins and bones in a styrofoam container in the basket of her bicycle before making away with the wastes.
Popular restaurant
Wu and her husband run a Chinese restaurant, which local residents say was popular in the region and had been featured in magazines.
They served sashimi and Chinese cuisine that contains seafood, including fish.
Besides the large portions of their serving, Wu was known for her sunny disposition.
She reportedly intended to use the stolen fish bones to make fish feed for farmed fish, that would later be cooked and served at her restaurant, SCMP said.
Wu had grilled some of the said fish to customers, as well as made them into meatballs for herself.
Despite the relatively unhygienic source of fish feed, she had thought that the fish would still be edible as they were cooked, she told the police.
Debate
The incident generated discussion online over Wu’s actions and the extent of police intervention.
Some netizens argued that Wu should have simply asked to buy the waste products since they were very affordable, while noting that the unmanaged waste should not have been used to feed her customers.
On the other hand, others questioned if it was necessary to punish Wu publicly for such a petty crime.
Chinese netizens, in particular, noted that people from Wu’s generation may have developed a habit of collecting waste products as a result of poverty from their childhood.
Top images via Canva
