A 51-year-old woman was arrested at the Japanunder the accusation of having made approximately 2,700 false calls to the Fire Department over a period of three years. Identified as Niroko Hatagami, the suspect was arrested under the allegation of practicing prank calls against the rescue corporation.
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According to information provided by the local press, the calls took place between August 2020 and May 2023.
During cross-examination, Niroko admitted that she repeatedly called the emergency services because she felt “alone and wanted someone to listen (…) and pay attention to me”.
The woman, who is currently unemployed, resided in the city of Matsudo, located in Chiba Prefecture, where authorities concentrated the investigations after several fraudulent calls, which hampered the handling of occurrences legitimate.
To the misleading links from Niroko involved a variety of complaints, ranging from stomach pains and alleged drug overdoses, to leg pains and other fictitious symptoms.
However, when they arrived at the supposed emergency locations, the firefighters found no signs of any dangerous situation, since the woman denied having made any distress call.
The false emergency calls not only consumed the resources of the Fire Department, but also compromised the availability of care services in real situations, where people in danger needed immediate assistance.
The obstruction of the corporation's operations, caused by the fraudulent connections, is what led to the arrest of Niroko Hatagami.
Authorities stressed the importance of using emergency services responsibly and only in genuinely urgent situations.
In addition, they highlighted that irresponsible practices like this can have serious legal consequences, aiming to discourage similar behavior in the future.
Niroko remains in the custody of the authorities, awaiting the outcome of the judicial process and facing possible penalties resulting from his irresponsible actions.
