TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 44-year-old man for stealing cash from a shrine offering box in Shibuya Ward on Saturday, reports TBS News (July 13).
At just before 2:00 a.m., Toshio Ogawa, of no known occupation, allegedly stole 1,000 yen from the offering box at Aoyama Kumano Shrine in Jingumae.
Upon his arrest, Ogawa admitted to the charges. “I did it because I was struggling financially,” he said. “I did it about 10 times.”
Prior to the incident, a representative of the shrine reported to police that thefts of cash had taken place recently. As a result, officers staked out the shrine.
To carry out the crime, Ogawa attached tape to the end of a stick about one meter long and inserted it through a gap in the offering box to steal the cash. As he made the theft, officers apprehended him on the spot.
Police have received several reports of similar crimes having taken place at other nearby shrines. Police are now investigating whether the suspect was also behind those thefts.
