TOKYO (TR) – Police here have arrested three men for their alleged involvement in a brazen robbery at a pawnshop and residence in Katsushika Ward that netted over 1 million yen in cash and luxury goods.
The case is the second involving the three suspects, who are believed to have operated within an anonymous tokuryu crime ring, reports Fuji News Network (Apr. 21).
Naoki Tajima, 27, Reiriki Ishizawa, 21, and Shoya Hiyoshi, 21, are accused of barging into a property serving as both a home and a pawnshop on March 10. Once inside, the trio reportedly made off with approximately 1.15 million yen in cash along with 18 items, including designer bags.
According to investigators, the group’s crime spree didn’t begin there. Tajima and his crew had previously been arrested in connection with an attempted robbery at another pawnshop in Shinjuku Ward’s bustling Kabukicho entertainment district, which occurred just prior to the successful Katsushika heist.
Investigators believe the trio are members of a tokuryu group, which is a fluid, anonymous crime syndicate often recruited via social media, after they were observed regrouping near the scene shortly after the botched Kabukicho heist.
Police are continuing their investigation into the string of incidents to fully uncover the sequence of events and determine if the men are tied to a larger organized crime ring.
