Tokyo police arrest three suspected Tokuryu members over theft of safes in Shinjuku
In short
Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested three men on October 7 on suspicion of stealing two safes holding about 120,000 yen in cash and precious metals worth about 25 million yen from the office of a precious-metal buyback shop in Shinjuku in May. Police believe the men belong to an anonymous, fluid criminal group (Tokuryu). One of them, Takumi Kurokawa, 30, is suspected of being the group's 'case broker' who planned crimes, and about 20 pieces of target information were found on his smartphone.
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The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 3 arrested three men on October 7 on suspicion of theft and trespassing on a building, Sankei Shimbun reported. Those arrested are Takumi Kurokawa, 30, an unemployed man from Chuo Ward, Sapporo; Yuki Kubotani, 32, of no fixed address; and Hitoshi Watanabe, 27, of no fixed address. Nikkei reported that Kurokawa and two other men were arrested on suspicion of theft and other charges. Police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit the allegations. [ 1 , 3 ]
The three are accused of conspiring to enter the office of a precious-metal buyback shop in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, through a window between about 2:10 a.m. and 2:20 a.m. on May 25, and stealing two safes. According to Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei, the safes contained about 120,000 yen in cash and precious metals, including necklaces, worth about 25 million yen in total. TBS NEWS DIG reported that the men are accused of breaking into the shop's office and stealing gold and other items. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Investigation Division 3, the suspects are believed to be part of an anonymous, fluid criminal group, known in Japan as Tokuryu, with Kubotani as the person who carried out the break-in and Watanabe as the driver, Sankei Shimbun reported. Kurokawa is suspected of acting as a 'case broker' who planned crimes and passed information about sites to the person giving orders. About 20 pieces of information on apparent crime targets were found on his smartphone, all three outlets reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Citing investigative sources, Nikkei reported that Kurokawa used highly secure messaging apps to send the addresses of targets and descriptions of the sites to the person giving orders. Nikkei also reported that Kubotani and others arrested as the people carrying out the crime were members of a theft group based in Ibaraki Prefecture, which is believed to have been involved in dozens of other thefts across the country. [ 3 ]
TBS NEWS DIG reported in its headline that one of the three is suspected of taking part in scouting near the scene of a robbery-murder in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture. It did not say which of the men, and the other outlets did not report this. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The arrests target a suspected planner role in Tokuryu groups, and the roughly 20 targets found on one suspect's phone point to possible further cases. Nikkei reported that the group the alleged burglar belonged to is believed to have been involved in dozens of thefts nationwide.
Key facts
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 3 arrested three men on October 7 on suspicion of theft and related charges. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Those arrested are Takumi Kurokawa, 30, of Chuo Ward, Sapporo; Yuki Kubotani, 32, of no fixed address; and Hitoshi Watanabe, 27, of no fixed address, all unemployed. [ 1 ]
- They are accused of entering the office of a precious-metal buyback shop in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, on May 25 and stealing two safes. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The safes held about 120,000 yen in cash and precious metals, including necklaces, worth about 25 million yen in total. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Police believe Kurokawa acted as a 'case broker' planning crimes for an anonymous, fluid criminal group (Tokuryu), and about 20 pieces of target information were found on his smartphone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit the allegations. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Three men, including Takumi Kurokawa, 30, and Yuki Kubotani, 32, were arrested over a theft from the office of a precious-metal buyback shop in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Two safes containing about 120,000 yen in cash and precious metals worth about 25 million yen were stolen on May 25. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Kurokawa is suspected of being a Tokuryu 'case broker', and about 20 pieces of target information were found on his smartphone. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit the allegations. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether one of the arrested men took part in scouting near the scene of a robbery-murder in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture. Only TBS NEWS DIG reports this, in its headline, as a suspicion, and does not say which suspect.
- Whether the alleged burglar's group was involved in dozens of other thefts nationwide. Only Nikkei reports that the Ibaraki-based theft group is believed to have been involved in dozens of thefts across the country.
- Whether the suspects admit the allegations. Police have not disclosed the suspects' responses.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On May 25, between about 02:10 and 02:20, the suspects allegedly entered the Shinjuku shop's office through a window and took two safes. [ 1 ]
- On October 7, Sankei Shimbun reports the arrest of three men by the Metropolitan Police. [ 1 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the arrests and says one suspect may have joined scouting near a robbery-murder scene in Tochigi. [ 2 ]
- On October 8, Nikkei reports that the suspects used encrypted apps and that the alleged burglar belonged to an Ibaraki-based theft group. [ 3 ]