TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the former representative director of luxury watch-sharing service Toke Match on suspicion of fraud, reports Jiji Press (Dec. 26).
On Friday, police apprehended Takazumi Fukuhara, 44, at Narita International Airport upon his arrival from the United Arab Emirates.
Toke Match’s system allowed users who want to rent luxury watches to pay a monthly fee for that service. Borrowed watches were entrusted to the company by their owners.
Police allege that Fukuhara defrauded a man in Tokyo out of 15 watches, including Rolexes, with a total market value of approximately 18 million yen around August 2023.
According to police, Fukuhara worked with former company employee Taishi Nakayama, 44, who was also arrested, to post false claims on the company’s website. One read, “By depositing your watches, you can earn a stable monthly income.”
Police believe Fukuhara had obtained large amounts of cash by selling luxury watches entrusted to him at secondhand dealers and other parties.
Pawnshops
Toke Match was operated by Neo Reverse, for which Fukuhara served as director.
Between March 2021 and December 2033, Toke Match is believed to have defrauded about 650 owners, aged in their 20s to 80s, out of approximately 1,700 watches with a market value of over 2.8 billion yen.
Of those watches, at least 1,300 were sold them at around 110 pawnshops and second-hand stores. Some of the proceeds from the sales were deposited into cryptocurrency and online casino accounts.
On January 31, 2024, Fukuhara left for Dubai, United Arab Emirates after suddenly dissolving Neo Reverse.
Tokyo police subsequently obtained an arrest warrant. In March of the same year, he was placed on an international wanted list through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
“No different from murder”
Fukuhara had been ordered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to surrender his passport. However, according to a source, he failed to surrender it. At that time, a total of 173 reports of fraud had been received by law enforcement from 33 prefectures.
One victim tells TBS News (Dec. 26), “He took about 60 million yen. I think 60 million yen is enough money for someone to commit suicide. It’s no different from murder. I really hope he gets caught.”
Former employee Daisuke Nagata, 40, who left the country with Fukuhara, is still wanted.
