TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of current and former organized crime members for the alleged theft of 20 million yen in cash from a 69-year-old man in Shinjuku Ward last month, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 27).
On Saturday, officers took Naotoshi Oikawa, 48, a former upper member of the Sumiyoshi-kai, Misao Nagasaki, a 46-year-old current member of the same gang, Toshio Nagai and one other suspect for ambushing the victim on the sidewalk in front of a branch of Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking near JR Takadanobaba Station and stealing a paper bag containing the money on September 12.
All of the suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations. “We split the cash four ways,” Oikawa is quoted by police.
Just prior to the incident, the victim, an officer at a company in Koto Ward, had withdrawn the 20 million yen from the bank and placed it in the bag. He told police that the funds were capital from the company.
As the suspects fled the scene, one of them dropped a mobile phone, which lead police to Oikawa.
According to the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 27), the four suspects were not acquainted with the victim prior to the robbery.