OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police on Tuesday arrested an officer for allegedly pocketing a lost 10,000-yen bill turned in by two brothers earlier this month, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Apr. 22).
On April 14, the two boys — a 14-year-old middle school student and an 11-year-old elementary school student — found the bill on a street in the Imafukuhigashi area of Joto Ward.
After the boys turned the bill in to the Joto Police Station, officer Takumi Nozawa, 21, allegedly pocketed it.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of embezzlement, Nozawa admitted to the allegations. “I did it to make up for a shortfall [of funds] for living expenses,” the suspect said. “I am filled with regret with regard to the children who handed over the bill.”
On April 20, the mother of the boys contacted the station after she had not heard back about whether the bill had been processed as a lost item.
Nozawa surfaced as a person of interest since he was on duty at the time the boys arrived at the station.
“It is regrettable that a staff member was arrested,” said chief inspector Wataru Miyazaki. “Based on the facts of the case, we will deal with [the matter] strictly.”
