TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo, where they do sleep on the streets.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the leader of theft ring who is suspected of stealing wallets from intoxicated persons aboard trains and in other locations in the capital, reports Nippon News Network (Mar. 6).
On December 15, 2025, Yuta Imura, 27, is suspected of stealing a wallet containing cash and other items from a drunk woman, 62, who was sleeping on a Chuo Line train traveling between JR Nakano and Tokyo stations.
He then used the woman’s cash card to withdraw approximately 1.86 million yen in cash from an ATM.
During questioning on suspicion of theft, Imura declined to comment, police said.
Police also arrested Hayato Sunakosaka on suspicion of fraud for purchasing heated tobacco products using the woman’s credit card.
Imura is believed to be the leader of the theft group. He has already been arrested for using an electric bicycle to steal wallets and other items from people sleeping on the streets of Shibuya and Roppongi.
To avoid becoming a victim of theft on the train, Tokyo Metropolitan Police are urging people to hold onto their bags when the train is crowded, keep valuables close to their body and avoid sleeping after drinking alcohol. They also suggest not leaving bags on the luggage racks whenever possible.
