SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police have arrested a 60-year-old male employee in the construction industry who is suspected in dozens of pickpocketing incidents targeting women inside railways cars so that he could later swipe their underwear, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Mar. 15).
At around 9:45 a.m. on December 5 of last year, Yasushiro Anse, a resident of Kawaguchi City, Saitama, allegedly stole a wallet containing a house key and other items from a woman, aged in her 20s, inside a carriage of the Keio Inokashira Line as it traveled between Meidaimae and Shibuya stations.
Using the woman’s identification card, he then trespassed into her residence and stole 100 items, including her underwear.
Anse, who has been accused of theft, admits to the allegations. “I did it [for money] to cover living expenses and to satisfy my sexual desire,” the suspect was quoted by the Bunan Police Station. “I got exciting [entering a woman’s house],” he was also quoted.
According to police, a search of the residence of the suspect revealed about 300 wallets, smartphones and rail passes that are believed to belong to women. Police also found a train timetable and memos including the text “be bold” and “seize the day.”
In December, police stopped Anse in Kawaguchi over a bicycle-related violation. During questioning, police found that he had used a stolen point card for a bento boxed meal chain.
After police arrested Anse on suspicion of fraud, it was revealed that the suspect was behind 41 pickpocketing incidents involving women in the capital over a one-year period through last December.