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Tokyo: Man, 46, nabbed in robbery of credit union in Suginami

Yuichi Hirayama
Yuichi Hirayama (Twitter)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 46-year-old man over the robbery of a branch of a credit union in Suginami Ward of nearly 15 million yen in cash last month, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 4).

At around 7:55 a.m. on May 16, Yuichi Hirayama, an employee at an automobile sales company, struck the male manager, 50, in the head with a crowbar after he entered the employee entrance of the Nishi Ogikubo branch of Seibu Shinkin Bank. “Hand over the money,” he threatened.

According to the bank and the Ogikubo Police Station, the suspect then took about 14.5 million yen in cash from a safe in the basement. After locking the manager inside a room containing the safe, he fled the scene in the direction of JR Ogikubo Station.

The manager suffered an injury to his head that required 7 days to heal, police said.

Hirayama, who has been accused of robbery resulting in injury, has declined to comment on the allegations. “Because this is an important matter, I will speak after consulting a lawyer,” the suspect told police.

Hirayama became a person of interest for police after an examination of security camera footage. On the day of the incident and the next day, the suspect is believed to have deposited a total of 7.3 million yen into bank accounts belonging to him and his girlfriend.

The day before the incident, the suspect visited the bank to make to deposit a small sum in his account. Police believe the visit was to inspect the premises prior to the crime.