A fishy disappearance of Japanese koi in one Maryland community has led residents to believe they’ve been targeted by thieves.
Three burglaries have been reported in Howard County, a municipality in the Piedmont Plateau region of Maryland, and approximately 88 koi fish are missing from privately-owned garden ponds, according to local law enforcement.
The suspected thefts have occurred in a three-month span, a public information officer with the Howard County Police Department wrote in an email to Fox News Digital.
Nearly 100 Japanese koi in Howard County, Maryland (not pictured), have gone missing and residents reportedly believe there’s a fish thief in the area, according to the Howard County Police Department. (iStock)
The latest suspected burglary was reported to the Howard County Police Department on April 7, and the unnamed resident claims to have lost approximately 20 koi fish from early February to early April.
The first Columbia resident claims to have lost 50 koi fish on March 30, which was reported on the same day of the suspected theft, according to the Howard County Police Department.
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A resident of Glenwood, an unincorporated community in Howard County, filed a report on Feb. 15, and told the Howard County Police Department that approximately 18 koi fish have gone missing.
Howard County is a municipality in the Piedmont Plateau region of Maryland. (iStock)
Information about the missing koi fish can be reported to the Howard County Police Department via phone at 410-313-STOP or email at HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.
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Koi fish are a colorful variety of Amur carp, which are a Eurasian fish species that can be found in lakes and rivers throughout Europe and Asia.