Tokyo man calls police 9,000 times

TOKYO, June 8 (UPI) -- Tokyo police say they've traced 9,000 prank emergency phone calls to a jobless man who has a drinking problem.

Takashi Kikuchi, a resident of western Tokyo, was arrested on charges of obstructing police from carrying out their duty, Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said Kikuchi dialed the Tokyo emergency number 110 about 9,000 times between January and mid-April. Instead of reporting emergencies, however, he criticized the government or used abusive language.

Investigators said Kikuchi was drunk during most of the calls, which soaked up 64 wasted police hours.