TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police last week arrested three men over the alleged robbery of more than 80 million yen from two employees of a precious metals dealer on a road in the Akasaka area of Minato Ward earlier this month, reports Jiji Press (Jan. 23).
On the afternoon of January 5, two of the perpetrators came up behind the employees on a road just north of the Tokyo Midtown shopping and office complex and beat them both over the head. They then snatched a bag containing about 83 million yen in cash that the victims were carrying and fled in a car driven by the third man.
The victims suffered injuries that required between two and three weeks to heal, police said.
On January 23, police arrested a Cambodian national, 31, and two Japanese nationals on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury. “I do not clearly recall [the matter],” the Cambodian was quoted by police in denying the allegations.
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 tricked. The subsequent investigation led them to the Cambodian national.
