Greenpeace Japan has filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors against the 12-member crew of the Japanese whaling ship, the Nisshin Maru.

The environment agency alleges that the crew stole nearly 50 boxes containing what it believes was prime whale meat, and had them sent to their homes and other locations through a parcel delivery service.

Kyodo news agency reports that Greenpeace Japan says around a ton of meat, worth more than $US140,000, was embezzled by the crew.

The environment group has lodged its complaint with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, and presented a box containing 23.5kg of whale meat as evidence, following what it said was a four-month investigation.

Greenpeace Japan says the crew belong to the Tokyo-based firm, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha
Ltd, and says an informer associated with the firm told its investigation that officials from a scientific research institute who were on board the Nisshin Maru ''also knew of the scandal and did
nothing.''

Takahide Naruko, director of the Far Seas Fisheries Division at the Fisheries Agency, told Kyodo that the agency has instructed Kyodo Senpaku to investigate the allegations and report back on its findings.

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