In these hard economic times there aren’t many ways to make a buck.  The Fukuoka Prefectural Police are pitching in during these cash strapped times.  All you have to do is help them locate some deadly unexploded ordnance.

Yes, on 30 March, Fukuoka Prefectural Police announced that they will be giving cash rewards to anyone who can provide tips leading to an arrest of anyone in possession of grenades.  And I’m announcing that I’m cancelling my trip to Fukuoka.

In what’s called the Grenade 110 Incentive Program (110 is the emergency number for police in Japan) you can receive a whopping $1250 (100,000 yen) per grenade that they find on a suspect. It starts on 2 April and is open to anyone in the country.

Before you start looking into how much grenades cost on the black market so you can turn them in for a profit, forget about it.  The authorities have already stipulated that no arrests equals no money.  The must be a perp to go along with the weapons or no reward will be given.

Also if you happen to lead police to enough grenades to equip the Israeli army then, of course, they will have to reduce the reward payment down to somewhere under a kajillion.

On the other hand, if the suspect you help to get arrested turns out to be a major player in the organized crime world then you’ll get some bonus money on top of the 100 Gs, depending on how big of a cheese they are.

Other types of explosive devices will be accepted and the monetary reward will be determined by the authorities based on the seriousness of the weapon.  An M-80 might get you some bus fare, if it doesn’t land you in jail for interfering with a police investigation.

This whole money making opportunity – I mean crime prevention method is in response to a spate of grenade attacks on businesses believed to be run by feuding yakuza clans.  Six such attacks are reported to have taken place last year, killing two people and injuring one.

Following the axiom that even one grenade attack in your prefecture is too many, police have decided to go to these extreme countermeasures.  An assistant chief of the Narcotics and Firearms unit said that residents in the prefecture are really scared so they want information that will put an end to these attacks as soon as possible.

And now some words I never thought I’d type: if you happen to be in Fukuoka Prefecture and spot someone with a grenade, this could be your lucky day.  Just call the Narcotics and Firearms Unit of the Fukuoka Prefectural Police at 092 (641) 4444.  Police guarantee that all tips are anonymous, and you probably have a better chance of winning money this way than with a lottery ticket.

Source: Fukuoka Prefectural Police (Japanese)