Police arrested the manager of a construction firm at Fukushima for using a 15 year old boy to help eliminate soil and debris contaminated by radioactive substances released in the nuclear accident in Fukushima Prefecture.
The executive admitted his involvement but downplayed the seriousness of the matter.
"All I did was send him to a company conducting decontamination work so he could work part-time," he said, reports Asahi.
Chiba apparently told the teenager not to reveal his real age, saying: "Our construction sites do not allow minors under 18 years of age to work. If anyone questions you, tell them you're 18."
The boy was to be paid a daily income of 3,000 yen ($25.25) for the decontamination work. However, he left before being paid after he was physically attacked by Chiba.
According to the police, there were more cases of minors involved in similar jobs in the Fukushima region.
The involvement of criminal organizations in the business has also become a rising concern. The tax money for decontamination is likely to be funding criminal organization.
