Seven Arrested in Ueno 400 Million Yen Robbery as Members of Multiple Crime Syndicates Allegedly Conspired
Those arrested were executives from different yakuza organizations.
On March 14, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Anti-Gang Division arrested seven suspects, including Hitoryu Kano (21), Yuhi Ito (27), and Takemitsu Fukuhara (48), on suspicion of post-robbery and other crimes. Kano is affiliated with the Yamaguchigumi, Ito with the Sumiyoshikai, and Fukuhara with the Kyokutokai, each serving as executives in their respective subordinate organizations. The crime is believed to have been carried out with clearly defined roles.
“Of the seven arrested, two including Kano acted as masterminds, three including Ito were the perpetrators, and two including Fukuhara procured the getaway vehicle. The car’s license plate had been obtained under another person’s name. Kano is believed to have been the central figure who brought the group together.
The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. on January 29 this year. About two hours earlier, the masterminds and perpetrators gathered at a park in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, likely having already obtained information necessary to carry out the crime. On a street in Higashi-Ueno, Taito Ward, they stole three suitcases containing approximately 420 million yen that had been loaded into a vehicle and fled. A man in his 40s at the scene was assaulted, including being sprayed with tear gas,” said a national newspaper reporter.
The three perpetrators, including Ito, fled the scene in a light vehicle. They later switched to a minivan driven by Kano and are believed to have escaped toward Kawaguchi City in Saitama Prefecture, passing through Nagareyama City in Chiba, Koga City in Ibaraki, and Oyama City in Tochigi.
Can be treated as individual income
“The Metropolitan Police tracked down the suspects using relay investigations, connecting security camera footage. They searched more than a dozen locations, including the suspects’ offices and homes, and seized approximately 27.5 million yen believed to be part of the stolen money. The police have not disclosed whether the suspects admit to the charges.
Behind this is gold trading. Due to global instability, including conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, gold prices have surged. A business has become active in which large amounts of cash are transported to Hong Kong—where gold transactions are tax-free—to procure gold in bulk and sell it in Japan. One of the victims reportedly told police that he was transporting cash to Hong Kong,” the same reporter said.
As mentioned at the beginning, what is unusual about this case is that executives from different yakuza groups conspired together. Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains the background:
“There are several reasons. First, the cohesion of organizations has weakened due to police crackdowns. Second, if members of different groups collaborate, they can treat the profits as personal income. If a large sum is earned as part of a single organization, a portion must be paid to the group.
I believe the suspects did not report this in advance to their organizations. It was likely carried out with a part-time job mentality. In the future, crimes involving members of different yakuza groups working across organizational lines may become more common.”
Police are continuing to investigate the full circumstances of the case, including who leaked information about the victims and the transport of the cash.
PHOTO： Shinji Hasuo