The stolen truck is seen in this photo provided by Gekidan Kogumaza.

       This tweet from Gekidan Kogumaza's official account reports the discovery of the truck.

       MITO -- Two foreign nationals have been arrested on suspicion of keeping a truck that was reported stolen from a theater troupe, police announced on Jan. 12.

       The truck was stolen from the "Gekidan Kogumaza" theater company based in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. A passerby reportedly found the truck with "Kogumaza" written on the body in Hokota, Ibaraki Prefecture, and reported it to a local police station.

       The arrested suspects, both used car salesmen, were identified as 48-year-old Nigerian national Odoemenam Nkemakolam who lives in Mito, and a 45-year-old Ugandan national Khalid Ali, who lives in the city of Chiba.

       The two suspects are specifically accused of storing the 3-ton truck -- worth about 2 million yen (about $17,500) -- on the premises of a used car sales company in Hokota, at around 10:45 a.m. on Jan. 11, while knowing that it was stolen. Ibaraki Prefectural Police's Hokota Police Station has not revealed how the suspects have pleaded to the allegations.

       According to the police station and other sources, the truck was loaded with costumes and equipment to be used in plays. A staff member of the theater company found it missing from a parking lot adjacent to the company's office in Matsudo on the evening of Jan. 9.

       On Jan. 10, a woman in her 50s in Hokota saw the truck near the used car sales company run by the suspects. She later learned of the theft from a news report, and alerted the police station on Jan. 11. Police are continuing to probe the background to the theft.

       "I never dreamed that the truck would be stolen, but many people spread the news through social media and other platforms, which led to its early discovery," said Shigeo Yamamoto, the representative of the theater company, who was relieved to hear the news of the truck's discovery.

       Kogumaza was established in 1969. Its costumed performers' shows have become popular, and it has been touring day care centers and kindergartens all over the country. However, since the spread of the coronavirus, the number of performances has dropped drastically to 20-30% of the level seen in previous years. In addition to about 10 costumes, the truck was also loaded with stage sets and sound equipment used in popular plays such as "The Three Little Pigs," so the theft had dealt a heavy blow to the theater company.

       Yamamoto was informed by police that the costumes and other items had been found in the back of the truck, but that the engine couldn't be started and the logo on the body had been partially erased.

       "Audiences had finally started to come back, and we were expecting to have performances in the spring and beyond. How much will it cost to repair it?" Yamamoto pondered.

       (Japanese original by Takashi Miyazaki, Mito Bureau)

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0