CHIBA (TR) – Police have arrested four Brazilian nationals in connection with a brazen smash-and-grab robbery at a pawnshop in Matsudo City last year, reports TV Asahi (July 13).
In October, a group of men dressed entirely in black stormed the pawnshop . Security footage captured one suspect systematically shattering glass showcases with a crowbar while his accomplices swiftly stuffed luxury watches, bags, and other goods into sacks. As more men entered the shop, the crew cleared out the merchandise and fled in a matter of moments.
The gang made off with 32 items valued at approximately 2.9 million yen.
“It was terrible. They completely wrecked the place,” the store manager said. “The whole thing took about two-and-a-half minutes. I got the impression they were incredibly fast.”
Though no one was physically injured, the manager expressed deep frustration over the ordeal. “Fortunately, none of the staff were harmed, but it was terrifying. The store was ruined and we couldn’t open for business afterward. More than anything, I just feel intensely frustrated.”
The four suspects were already on the police’s radar, having been arrested previously for a separate heist that occurred just three days after the Matsudo robbery. In that incident, the crew targeted a watch shop in Tokyo’s Ueno district, making off with timepieces worth 2.22 million yen.
Upon arrest, 25-year-old suspect Kusaba Youssef Miya Abdullah Akio admitted to his role in the crime.
“Someone told me, ‘You can make money if you steal,’ and I did it for the payout,” he told investigators.
