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Japan Arrests North Korean Vessel Crew Amid Inflow of 'Ghost Ships' - Reports

© REUTERS / Mandatory credit KyodoA wooden boat carrying men identified as North Koreans by coast guards drifts off Matsumae town, on Japanese northern island of Hokkaido, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 29, 2017. Picture taken November 29, 2017
A wooden boat carrying men identified as North Koreans by coast guards drifts off Matsumae town, on Japanese northern island of Hokkaido, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 29, 2017. Picture taken November 29, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Japan rescues dozen of North Korean fishermen, whose vessels wash up on its coast annually.

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.

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After towing the boat to the port of Hakodate, southern Hokkaido, one of the crew-members reportedly admitted stealing some electronic items from a remote Japanese island, where the crew had taken refuge.

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.

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