SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police last week launched an investigation after three shotguns and over 100 rounds of live ammunition were stolen from a residence in Hanyu City, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Sep. 19).
At around 6:40 p.m. on September 18, a 38-year-old company employee called emergency services to report that his home had been burglarized. Missing from the residence was a locked gun locker containing three shotguns, as well as a separate safe holding 125 rounds of live ammunition.
The thieves also made off with approximately 450,000 yen in cash and wristwatches, according to the Hanyu Police Station, which is treating the case as a theft.
Police noted that essential components of all three shotguns had been removed by the owner and stored in a different location, rendering the stolen weapons incapable of firing.
Investigators believe the perpetrators gained entry by smashing a first-floor window glass while the house was unoccupied. The victim had been away from the residence since roughly 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.
Authorities confirmed that the man legally possessed the firearms with formal permission from the prefectural public safety commission. Police are currently tracking down the suspects.
