Criminal Turns Himself In, Craves ‘Tasty’ Prison Food

Kobe, Japan – We’ve heard some strange crime stories this week, but a suspect turning himself in because he actually wanted prison food? That’s a cherry on top of an eventful week.

On May 12, a 32-year-old suspected thief turned himself in to the Nagata Ward Precinct in Kobe. His name withheld, he turned himself in because he wanted “to eat the tasty food Nagata Precinct serves prisoners in its holding cells.”

He confessed at 11:40am. Just in time for lunch.

He is currently being held on suspicion of stealing a wallet containing 8,000 yen from a parked scooter. We’re not sure how bail works in Japan, but we’re guessing he’s staying put either way.

Now to the burning question: What makes Nagata Precinct food so good that criminals just turn themselves in for t?

According to RocketNews24, the boxed meals are called “kamben,” and are ordered from local bento shops. The ingredients are the same as in any other bento in Japan, with meals including grilled salmon, dumplings, eggs, stir-fried veggies, and rice.

Kamben have a reputation for being pretty bland, but flavor and quality differ from precinct to precinct, since all meals are locally sourced. Nagata must put a bit of extra love in their kamben or something.

And this wasn’t the only time this has happened, either. In 2009, police arrested a man who refused to cover his bill at an Internet cafe. They discovered that he had priors, and he confessed he wanted to be arrested so he could eat the precinct’s delicious kamben.

In a cruel twist of fate, the suspected thief was actually moved to the Awaji City station because Nagata was filled to capacity. We can’t speak to the quality of their kamben.

[Image via: Abendstrom / Wikimedia Commons]