PS3 consoles stolen in Japan

A total of 180 PlayStation 3 consoles have been stolen from a freight forwarder's local office in Japan, reports the Mainichi Daily News.

Meitetsu Golden Aircargo called police at approximately 6:50 p.m. on the evening of December 5 to report that the consoles had been stolen. The PS3s were part of a shipment of 1,560 due to be distributed to retailers in the Kanto region of Japan, including the Greater Tokyo Area, Gunma, and Chiba. At around 1:30 p.m., an employee checked the consoles and found that 180--valued at 9.5 million yen (around $82,500)--had "disappeared."

Sony's PS3 launched in Japan on November 11, with an initial shipment estimated at approximately 80,000 units. A string of crimes has dogged the console's release in the US, including a robbery in California, muggings in Oregon, and the shooting of a man waiting in line in Connecticut.