A 32-year-old man “stole a pure gold teacup worth over 10 million yen” with an unexpected motive.

“I saw a gold-colored teacup, and when I thought I could get it, the case moved, so I stole it.

He went in and out of the venue several times thinking he could get another one.”

The arrested man reportedly stated the following to police investigators.

On April 13, the Investigation Division 3 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect, Dai Horie, 32, of unknown occupation, of Koto-ku, Tokyo, on suspicion of theft. On April 11, the suspect, Horie, visited the “Great Gold Exhibition,” an exhibition and sales event held on the 8th floor of the main building of the Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department Store (Chuo Ward, Tokyo). At around 11:40 a.m., he allegedly stole a pure gold powdered green tea bowl (selling price: 1,040,000 yen) made by Koichi Ishikawa, a goldsmith.

The transparent plastic case in which the teacup was kept was unlocked and had no alarm. Horie allegedly opened the case, put the teacups in a backpack, and took them away. Security cameras showed a person believed to be Horie wearing glasses, gray sweatshirt, and black pants.

The suspect stayed at the scene for about 30 minutes after stealing the teacups. After rummaging around to see if there were any other pieces he could take away, it is known that he moved from Nihonbashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line to Kiba Station near his home,” said a reporter from the society department of a national newspaper.

Over 10 million yen for 1.8 million yen

About 30 minutes after the crime, a clerk notices that the teacups are missing and calls 110. On April 13, two days after the incident, investigators found Horie near Kiba Station wearing almost the same clothes he was wearing at the time of the crime; they followed him for about four and a half hours, and when they questioned him about his duties inside a building in Marunouchi, he admitted the crime, saying “There is no doubt.

The photographer photographed the scene immediately after the arrest, but the expression on Horie’s face as he sat in the backseat of the car in which he was being transported showed no signs of remorse.

According to Horie’s statement, he sold the teacups to a dealer in Koto Ward for about 1.8 million yen. At the time he was taken into custody, Horie was in possession of about 1.3 million yen. On April 15, the teacup was found at an antique store in Taito Ward. Fortunately, there were no scratches or other damage.

Why did Horie steal an expensive tea bowl worth over 10 million yen?

The suspect had been unemployed for about two years. He was physically weak and could not find a regular job. His life must have been very difficult. He explained his motive for the crime as follows. I was going to drink tea from a stolen teacup, but I thought it would be better to exchange it for cash,” he said.

In response to the arrest of Horie, Takashimaya made the following comment: “We will work to strengthen our crime prevention system and prevent recurrence.