TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police are searching for three men after a smash-and-grab incident at a brand-name resale shop in the capital’s upscale Hiroo district early Wednesday, reports Nippon TV (April 8).
Shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, authorities received an emergency call reporting that glass fragments were scattered outside the luxury shop.
According to police, the trio of men broke into the store and made off with 87 high-end items, including Hermès Birkin bags, precious metals and watches.
Initially, the estimated value of the stolen goods was between 70 and 80 million yen, but after further investigation by police, it was determined to be approximately 127 million yen.
Tokyo police reviewed security camera footage and found that at around 3:10 a.m. three individuals wearing ski masks opened the shutters and entered the store. They then used a crowbar-like object to break a display case.
In footage provided by the network, the three suspects are shown grabbing valuables from smashed display cases and shelves and placing them in bags.
“They pinpointed and took all the Hermès Birkins,” a shop representative said of the targeted heist. “I am in total shock. Especially since Hiroo is known to be such a safe neighborhood.”
Investigators revealed the perpetrators fled the scene in a whitish minivan. Police are currently tracking the vehicle’s escape route and reviewing nearby security camera footage to identify the suspects on the run.
The shop is located about 200 meters west of Hiroo Station on the Tokyo Metro in an area lined with restaurants and specialty shops.
