TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 57-year-old man who is suspected of repeatedly stealing items and defrauding the owners of finder’s fees, reports TV Asahi (Jan. 5).
Last October, Mitsuyoshi Nakai, of no known occupation, is suspected of stealing a man’s smartphone from a restaurant in Koto Ward. He then returned it to a police station and demanded payment of 5,000 yen in cash from the owner as a reward.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of fraud, Nakai denied the charges. He said, “I simply picked up something that I found and reported it to the police station, and it is my right to receive the reward payment.”
According to the Fukagawa Police Station, Nakai stole the smartphone while the man was away from his table.
The crime came to light when the owner, upon handing over the reward payment, noticed that Nakai resembled a person seen in security camera footage at the restaurant.
Nakai has reported lost items to police stations in Tokyo more than 60 times. Tokyo police are investigating the connection.
