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Japanese Man Steals 900 Library Books

Police in Japan have arrested a man who allegedly stole nearly 900 books from different libraries, a spokesman said Thursday.

Unemployed Mitsuka Suizu, 61, reportedly told officers: "I wanted to keep the books I read" after they discovered 896 volumes at his home in Ube, western Japan.

A police spokesman said Suizu was initially arrested for the theft of 12 books over a six-month period, but a search of his home revealed his huge stash, which the Yomiuri Shimbun said were worth a combined 2 million yen ($25,000).

Under Japan's penal code, theft is punishable by up to 10 years in jail or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

Source: Agence France Presse


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