Report: More elderly Japanese turn to petty crime

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Beset by economic worries and loneliness, elderly Japanese are turning to petty crime in increasing numbers, the nation's Justice Ministry reports.

An elderly man walks away from a Tokyo grocery store after being observed stealing medicine for an upset stomach.

In 2007, 48,605 persons age 65 and older were arrested in crimes other than traffic violations, more than double the number five years earlier, according to a ministry report.

Thefts such as shoplifting and pick-pocketing were the main offenses, the ministry report said.

"The main reasons they shoplift are poverty and loneliness," said Kazuo Kawakami, a former federal prosecutor. "The traditional Japanese family is gone, and now our elderly live alone."

Morio Mochizuki, who heads SPUJ, one of Japan's largest security firms, said the stories of shoplifting suspects at the thousands of stores his company oversees across Japan bear that out.

And the problem becomes more acute during New Year holidays, traditionally a time for family gatherings in Japan, Mochizuki said.

Economics also plays a role. Japan's economy went into recession this year, the government says. And the country's national pension system has been bogged down with mismanagement and corruption, leaving many pensioners with fears their lifetime savings will be lost.

"I feel sorry for them. When I talk to them, they don't have enough money for food," Takayuki Fujisawa, an employee of SPUJ, said of the elderly he's caught shoplifting.

SPUJ recently allowed CNN to follow its security team at one Tokyo grocery store. In just moments, they nabbed a 69-year-old woman, allegedly trying to steal food worth about $10.