TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a male Pakistani who is suspected in multiple pickpocketing cases in the Ueno area of Taito Ward this year, reports TBS News (Dec. 25).
At 3:25 p.m. on Saturday, Muhammad Atif, a 46-year-old independent businessman living in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, allegedly opened a bag belonging to a 62-year-old male shopper in the Ameyoko Shotengai street and attempted to pull out his wallet.
An officer on patrol spotted Atif behaving suspiciously and apprehended him at the scene. The suspect, who has been accused of attempted theft, denies the allegations. “The bag was open so I thought I would tell [the shopper],” he was quoted by police.
Atif is also suspected in eight similar incidents that have taken place since January in which the value of lost property totals around 247,000 yen.