SAITAMA (TR) — Saitama Prefectural Police have arrested four individuals for allegedly breaking into two rental video stores and making off with smartphones and video game consoles worth nearly 3 million yen, reports Fuji News Network (Mar. 31).
The suspects, who had no prior acquaintance with one another, are believed to have formed a burglary ring using a highly encrypted messaging app just before the crimes took place.
Among those taken into custody is Yuta Miura, 22, who is unemployed and of no fixed address.
According to investigators, the string of break-ins unfolded in November 2025. The group first targeted a rental video store in Tsurugashima City.
Using a crowbar to smash through a glass window, they looted the premises, grabbing smartphones valued at approximately 2.43 million yen.
Just three hours later, the crew struck again at a second rental video shop in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture —about 50 kilometers away from their first target. Employing the same method of entry, they swiped video game consoles worth roughly 240,000 yen.
Police suspect the stolen merchandise was quickly fenced off to a designated “collector” who arrived shortly after the second heist to receive the goods.
During questioning, one of the suspects admitted to the underlying motive behind the operation, telling investigators, “I applied for a high-paying part-time job on SNS”.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the shadowy criminal network behind the recruitment and are probing the group to determine if they are responsible for any other unsolved crimes.
