Three North Korean crew members of a so-called "ghost ship" have been arrested in Japan for suspected theft, public broadcaster NHK said Saturday, citing a Hokkaido Police department spokesman.
The arrested fisherman, the 45-year-old captain and two other sailors, were a part of a 10-member crew, whose tiny wooden boat had been struggling in bad weather in the waters off the Japanese island of Hokkaido last month.
The authorities decided to arrest three members of the crew after noticing that some of the items on the island with a lighthouse, including TV sets, fridges, a washing machine, an electric saw and an anime poster, had vanished.
The sailors tried to resist the arrest, but the police managed to seize the boat and unload machines and electronic items. The remaining crew members, including one in hospital, will be sent to Japan's immigration office.
READ MORE: Unusual Catch: 'North Korean Fishermen' Wash Ashore in Japan
Japan recovers dozens of North Korean boats that get lost at sea every year, with a record number of 42 North Korean fishermen being rescued by Japan this year. There are even still cases of "ghost ships" with all crew-members aboard either dead or the craft being entirely empty.
