CHIBA (TR) – A 41-year-old former member of a bosozoku motorcycle gang in custody in connection with the quick-strike theft of nearly two billion yen from ATMs nationwide three years ago has been arrested over a separate theft, police said Wednesday, reports TV Asahi (May 22).
In the latest case, Yu Inoue, a former member of biker gang Kanto Rengo, allegedly misappropriated an unspecified amount of cash through an ATM machine in Chiba Prefecture in February.
Inoue was also considered a key member of a gang of thieves that used forged credit cards with data leaked from a bank in South Africa to steal approximately 1.86 billion yen from ATMs nationwide in 2.5 hours on May 15, 2016.
However, Inoue’s whereabouts remained unknown after the incident. On January 28, police issued his portrait as a part of request to the public in assisting in locating him.
On February 4, police apprehended Inoue at a residence in Yokohama City. He was later accused in connection with the unjust withdrawal of 43.8 million yen from ATMs at 43 convenience stores in Fukuoka Prefecture.
1,400 ATMs in convenience stores
All told, the gang targeted more than 1,400 ATMs in convenience stores in 17 administrative districts, including Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, Fukuoka and Chiba.
Police have arrested about 250 persons in the case, including members of at least six criminal syndicates.
On Tuesday, police in Fukuoka Prefecture transferred Inoue to police in Chiba Prefecture for his arrest in the latest case.
