Police in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, admitted Wednesday that they mistakenly arrested a woman in her 20s over her suspected involvement in a blackmail case which occurred in January of this year.

Police said that following a quarrel between a woman and a man in his 20s inside an Osaka game center on Jan 24, the woman forced him to buy her mobile phones, a tablet computer and other items worth 300,000 yen, TBS reported Wednesday. The man, who told police he just met the woman for the first time, got the number of the mobile phone and his mother later called the number and asked the woman her name.

Police said the man's mother then contacted them to register a complaint and they visited the woman at her residence. Later, the police showed a photo of the woman to the man and he said "That's her," TBS reported.

The woman was taken into custody but was able to provide an alibi for the time the dispute took place at the game center on Jan 24. Neyagawa police officials said on Tuesday that they had arrested the wrong woman and she was released after being detained for six hours.

Police did not say why the man identified the wrong woman and are continuing to question him.

According to officials, since July of last year, this is the 9th time police in Osaka Prefecture have arrested the wrong person.

© Japan Today