IBARAKI (TR) – Ibaraki Prefectural Police have arrested two suspected female pickpockets who met one another while behind bars for previous crimes, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 5)
At 9:50 a.m. on May 2, Yasue Endo, 64, and Keiko Yokoyama, 67, are alleged to have worked together to steal wallets containing 87,000 yen in cash and bank cards from the bags of three women who visited a processed seafood marketplace in the town of Oarai.
The suspects, who have been accused of theft, admit to the allegations, saying that they needed money to cover living expenses, the Shimotsuma Police Station said.
According to police, the suspects targeted bags that were open, with Endo actually stealing the valuables while Yokohama worked to ensure that her partner was not seen.
Endo and Yokoyama became persons of interest after an examination of security camera footage, which showed them performing the crimes within a two-minute period.
The suspects have also been arrested and sent to prosecutors for allegedly stealing 42,000 yen in cash from the bags of women at a produce marketplace in Shimotsuma City on April 10.
Endo and Yokohama have been arrested for theft before, with the pair getting to know one another while they served prison terms for those previous crimes. Upon their release, they decided to work together, police said, according to TV Asahi (June 6).
