TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested another suspect — bringing the total to 20 — for participation in the alleged robbery of more than 80 million yen from two employees of a precious metals dealer in Minato Ward last year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Jan. 10).
On the afternoon of January 5, 2019, 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.
The latest suspect is Tokiya Nakajima, a 23-year-old member of the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi. “I did not participate,” the suspect was quoted by police in denying the allegations.
Nakajima is believed to have been the ringleader of the caper. Previously, police had arrested 19 suspects, including members of the Yamaguchi-gumi criminal syndicate.
Despite the arrests, the location of the money remains unknown. However, police believe Nakajima has knowledge of the whereabouts of the money.
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.
