CHIBA (TR) – Police in Kisarazu Cit have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of fraud after he allegedly cheated a convenience store lottery game to illegally obtain Godzilla figurines and other prizes, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Aug. 20).
Ryuji Okano, a company employee residing in Yokohama City’s Hodogaya Ward, was taken into custody on Tuesday. Upon his arrest, Okano admitted to the allegations, reportedly telling investigators, “I wanted to collect various figures while keeping my expenses down.”
The incident occurred between 6:35 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. on July 25. According to the Kisarazu Police Station, Okano paid 3,950 yen for five draws in an “Ichiban Kuji” (Number One Lottery) character goods game.
However, while reaching his hand into the drawing box, Okano allegedly peeled back the covers of 28 separate tickets to check their contents. He then pretended to casually draw five slips, walking away with five prizes—including a Godzilla figure—valued at approximately 8,030 yen.
The scam came to light the following day when the store noticed the tampered tickets and reported the matter to authorities.
During a subsequent search of Okano’s residence, officers confiscated nearly 200 anime and manga figurines. Police are now investigating whether the suspect has been repeatedly using the same deceptive tactic at other stores to fuel his collection.
