Crimes and unscrupulous business practices taking advantage of the powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture are adding to the hardships faced by residents reeling from the disaster.
Suspicious individuals have been spotted repeatedly around damaged homes and evacuation shelters, prompting police forces around the country to send more than 300 officers in special units to patrol affected areas. The Kumamoto Prefectural Police department has also stepped up security, including by installing additional surveillance cameras.
In the town of Hikawa, which saw shaking at the highest level of 7 on Â鶹´«Ã½ seismic intensity scale, a woman in her 70s returned home from an evacuation site to find that the window frames of her house, which had been completely destroyed, appeared to have been deliberately removed.
¡°I wonder if someone got into the house looking for valuables. Some people in the neighborhood have even pitched tents so they can keep watch over their homes and prevent burglaries,¡± she said.
In the city of Kamiamakusa, police arrested a 47-year-old unemployed man from the city of Amakusa on Saturday on suspicion of stealing an outdoor air-conditioning unit from the home of a 44-year-old company employee who had evacuated the house and was sleeping in his vehicle.
The suspect has admitted to the allegation, telling investigators, ¡°I was short of money and intended to sell it.¡±?
Municipalities in disaster-hit areas have also received multiple reports of suspicious people visiting damaged homes and evacuation centers while claiming to be water utility workers, psychological counselors and other professionals.
A 48-year-old female company employee in Hikawa said a suspicious man and woman came to her home claiming to represent a water-heater company. They left after a male relative answered the door.
¡°The woman was wearing heavy makeup and didn¡¯t look like someone from a legitimate company. If this was a fraudulent sales scheme, it¡¯s unforgivable,¡± she said.
After the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, inspection scams became widespread, with operators offering to inspect damaged homes before pressuring residents into expensive repair contracts.
Authorities are again receiving complaints from disaster-stricken areas about problems involving home repairs following the latest earthquake.
¡°If something seems suspicious, contact the Consumer Hotline at 188 as soon as possible,¡± the Consumer Affairs Agency said.
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