A Japanese farmer lost his spring onions to the extreme summer heat and tried to recoup his investment at the expense of a neighboring farmer.

The 28-year-old farmer took from the other farm more than 200 kilos of onions worth around 200,000 yen ($1,300) in August and September, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

He was charged with theft and tried by the Kyoto District Court last month. The court sentenced him to two years in prison, but suspended the penalty, Kansai TV reported, according to AFP.

In another case of theft in Japan, a 41-year-old man stole two packs of ground beef worth 184 yen from a supermarket in Sapporo on 17 September. The store’s security guard failed to stop the shoplifter, who shoved him away and escaped on foot.

Japan’s extensive network of surveillance cameras on the streets and in train stations tracked the thief which led to his arrest.

The suspect denied stealing beef from the supermarket, claiming he had no memory of the incident, Japan Today reported.

The case was posted on social media and it went viral as the 23 December arrest of the beef bandit baffled netizens. For one, the suspect was found in Chita City in Aichi Prefecture, 1,000 kilometers from Sapporo.

One commenter asked why the thief would steal beef when he had enough money to travel such a great distance.