Global Courant 2023-05-09 06:00:00
TOKYO – Four people were arrested in Tokyo on Monday after breaking into a luxury watch store and stealing items worth more than $740,000 ($980,000), local media reported.
The robbery in the posh Ginza district was an unusual robbery attempt in a country with a reputedly low crime rate.
Three people entered the store with their faces covered and armed with crowbars, smashing display cases and taking more than 30 items, local media said.
Contacted by AFP, police were not immediately available for comment.
Public broadcaster NHK said four people have been taken into police custody and another suspected member of the gang is still a fugitive.
The robbery shattered the store’s windows, with a box bearing the “Rolex” logo visible at the scene.
While Japan is known for its low crime rate and even valuable lost items are often returned to owners, Ginza’s chic boutiques have been targeted before.
In 2014, thieves made off with a diamond ring worth more than $300,000 in a Christmas Eve robbery.
And in 2007, the “Pink Panther” gang stole items worth more than $3.5 million from a county jewelry store. AFP
4 held after botched robbery in posh Tokyo
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