Six Vietnamese men have been arrested in Japan for melon theft.

Japanese police apprehended the thieves last Tuesday after they were caught stealing specialty melons from a farm in Asahi, reports Thanh Nien.

According to the local police, the men broke into the farm on June 18 in the middle of the night. They were able to walk off with 112 Iioka Takami melons but were arrested soon afterward. One of the suspects, a resident of Chiba Prefecture's Yotsukaido, denied involvement in the heist, however the rest of the gang admitted to stealing the melons with the intention of eating them later.

A specialty product of Asahi, Iioka Takami melons are highly sought after for their sweetness. Takami melons are only harvested between the end of June and the beginning of July, a representative of the Iioka Melon Department of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives Chibamidori told Asahi Shimbun.

Therefore, the stolen melons must have been unripe and thus unsuitable for consumption, said the representative.

[Photo via Carmencitta]