TOKYO (TR) – Police in Tokyo have arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly breaking into a second-floor precious metals buying office in Shinjuku Ward and fleeing with two safes, reports Fuji News Network (Nov. 13).
According to Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Shuma Miyajima, 21, targeted the second-floor office of a five-story commercial building in May.
Miyajima allegedly placed a stepladder against the exterior of the building, climbed up to the second floor, and used a screwdriver-like tool to smash through a window.
Once inside, he stayed on a voice call with an unidentified handler via an encrypted messaging app, receiving live instructions as he carried out the burglary.
After securing two safes from the office, Miyajima boldly escaped by walking directly out of the building’s front entrance. Security camera footage captured him walking away from the scene while flashing a smile toward a camera.
The heist began to unravel when a building security guard discovered the abandoned stepladder and alerted authorities.
Investigators believe the break-in was orchestrated by a tokuryu ring — an anonymous, fluid criminal network that recruits operatives through underground channels.
Three individuals linked to the ring have already been arrested and indicted, including 30-year-old Takumi Kurokawa, who operated as an anken-ya (crime coordinator or broker). Data retrieved from Kurokawa’s mobile phone revealed meticulous reconnaissance notes, including specific instructions stating, “You can get inside if you break the right side of the window.”
Police believe Miyajima carried out the burglary based on this intelligence. Authorities are currently tracing the encrypted communications to identify and apprehend the handler who directed the operation in real time.
