Former Tokyo Metro Employee’s Cunning Theft Spree Using Internal Systems and False Identities

Unprecedented case of repeated theft by an employee.

Yota Yoneda (25), a former Tokyo Metro employee residing in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, was arrested by the 29th on suspicion of fraud for deceiving and taking a wallet containing approximately 160,000 yen in cash that Tokyo Metro had kept as lost property.

 

 

“Yota Yoneda, a former Tokyo Metro employee arrested by the Shitaya Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, used the company’s internal system during work hours to search for characteristics of unclaimed wallets. Around 11:00 AM on April 28th, he visited the ‘Lost and Found Office’ at Iidabashi Station of Tokyo Metro, where he presented a driver’s license under a false name at the counter and deceived staff into handing over a wallet kept as lost property.”

According to a national newspaper’s social affairs reporter, Yoneda allegedly committed similar acts six times in the past, exploiting the internal system and methodically carrying out his crimes with cunning.

“Yoneda targeted only lost items for which the owner could not be identified. Within the company’s internal system, detailed information such as the date, time, and circumstances of items being lost is entered to ensure that lost items do not fall into the hands of passengers other than the rightful owner, and to facilitate smooth return regardless of the station where the item is reported.

After grasping the date, time, and circumstances via the system, Yoneda allegedly approached the counter, described the details of the incident, and impersonated the rightful owner. Last year, he reportedly happened to pick up someone else’s driver’s license and conceived the idea of exploiting it for these crimes.” (Source: Investigative official)

Yoneda covered his face and looked down when receiving lost items. However, one employee found this behavior suspicious and it eventually led to the discovery of his crimes.

“The employee in charge reported to their superior, prompting an investigation into the internal system’s lost item search history. It revealed that multiple lost items had been returned to the same person under different names, and that Yoneda had been searching for items where the owner was unknown. Reviewing security camera footage from the ‘Lost and Found Office’ confirmed Yoneda’s presence. Following an internal investigation where Yoneda admitted to the crimes, a report was filed with the police. Yoneda resigned from his position on May 20th.”

In response to police inquiries, Yoneda stated that he needed money, ran out of funds for furniture purchases and social gatherings, and thus committed the crime.

He was blinded by immediate financial gain, ultimately ruining his own career.