TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 40-year-old male British national who is alleged to have swindled a second man out of 13 million yen in a transaction that included fake gold.
Police said that there have been other cases of transactions involving fake gold, with the amount of damage reaching more than 100 million yen, reports Nippon News (Nov. 16).
In October of last year, Joe Kupoto is suspected of conspiring with accomplices to take 13 million yen in cash from a male company executive, aged in his 60s, in exchange for counterfeit bills at a restaurant in Chiyoda Ward.
Upon his arrest, Kupoto said, “I don’t know what this is about.”
“Let me check the cash first”
The victim became acquainted with Kupoto through a broker. He told police that he met the suspect at the restaurant under the pretext of a “gold buying and selling transaction.”
To buy the gold, the man prepared 13 million yen in cash in a paper bag. At the restaurant, Kupoto said, “Let me check the cash first.”
After taking the paper bag from the man, the suspect is believed that he pretended to count the 13 million yen in cash under the table and replaced the bills with the counterfeit notes in the bag.
Kupoto then wrapped the paper bag with adhesive tape so that the contents could not be seen and returned it to the man. He then showed him 1 kilogram of supposed “gold grains.”
The victim then headed to a precious metals store to have the gold appraised. At the time, he was accompanied by another foreign man who had joined the transaction halfway through. However, the other foreign man left midway, saying that he had “another appointment.”
When the man appraised the gold alone, it was found to be fake. Meanwhile, Kupoto dropped out of contact.
An examination of the counterfeit bills, which are actually notepads, reveal that they say “1 million yen” on them, as opposed to the standard denomination of 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 yen, and the text “Sample Bank.”
Two Liberian nationals
Police are aware of other thefts involving “gold buying and selling.” The total amount lost in those transactions has reached 146 million yen.
In November last year, police arrested two Liberian nationals for swapping counterfeit bills for 34 million yen in cash in a transaction of “gold grains” at a hotel in Tokyo.
Police are investigating whether the crimes are the work of the same foreign group.
Police are also searching for the whereabouts of the second man who was involved in the transaction in Chiyoda.
