TOKYO (TR) – Six months and multiple arrests later — and the money remains missing.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two more suspects — bringing the total to nine — for participation in the alleged robbery of more than 80 million yen from two employees of a precious metals dealer in Minato Ward earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 3).
On the afternoon of January 5, two perpetrators came up behind the employees on a road just north of the Tokyo Midtown shopping and office complex in the Akasaka area. “I’ll stab you,” one of the perpetrators threatened while holding a knife.
After beating both victims over the head, the perpetrators snatched a bag containing about 83 million yen in cash and fled in a car driven by a third man. The victims suffered injuries that required between two and three weeks to heal, police said previously.
Yamaguchi-gumi
The two latest suspects are Junpei Horiguchi, 30, and Keita Tanabe, 28, both members of the Yamaguchi-gumi criminal syndicate.
During questioning, Horiguchi said he “knew nothing” about the matter in denying the allegations. Meanwhile, Tanabe initially said he “did not participate” in the matter but is now choosing to remain silent, according to the Akasaka Police Station.
Social-networking service
Over a two-month period following the incident, police arrested five suspects, including Ryo Honda and Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, both members of the Yamaguchi-gumi. Before this week, they arrested two others. Despite the arrests, the location of the 83 million yen remains unknown.
After examining the mobile telephones of the seven other suspects, Horiguchi and Tanabe surfaced as persons of interest for police.
Police believe Horiguchi and Tanabe played key roles in the crime by communicating with the other suspects via a social-networking service.
After the incident, the victims told police that they were headed to use the cash to make a purchase of gold bars from a precious metals dealer. The meeting point was supposed to be a residence.
However, police were unable to confirm the existence of the residence, leading them to suspect that the victims had been set up.
