TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with a violent attempted robbery at a liquor store in Shinjuku Ward last month, reports Nippon News Network (May 28).
Haru Nakagawa, a company employee from Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture, is accused of conspiring with several accomplices to storm a liquor store in the Hyakunincho area on April 7.
The group, disguised as delivery workers, allegedly sprayed bear repellent in an attempt to steal cash and valuables.
Police did not reveal whether Nakagawa admits to the allegations.
Nakagawa is believed to have acted as one of the assailants on the scene. Police revealed he was recruited for the heist by a 19-year-old former high school classmate who had applied for a “high-paying part-time job” (often referred to as yami-baito, or “dark job”) advertised on social media.
Prior to Nakagawa’s arrest, six others were taken into custody. This includes 20-year-old Shinya Adachi, who allegedly procured the tools for the crime, and five other perpetrators, including the 19-year-old classmate and two high school students.
According to investigative sources, some of the juvenile suspects told police they were promised a payout of “several million yen” for completing the job.
The investigation has uncovered a troubling link to a broader criminal network. The same liquor store was the target of an attempted theft earlier this year in March. However, investigators believe the perpetrators and coordinators behind the March incident belong to a completely different group.
Tokyo police believe the group was acting under orders and is currently working to track down the anonymous masterminds who orchestrated the plot.
