Hachioji 5 Billion Yen Theft Victim Claims Undeclared Funds Were Entrusted While Describing Suspected Culprit Image

A theft of approximately 400–500 million yen occurred at a members-only safe deposit box facility located about a 2-minute walk from JR Hachioji Station in Hachioji City, Tokyo. The incident came to light on the morning of April 28, when an employee of the facility called 110 to report that the safe deposit boxes have been broken into.

According to a national newspaper social affairs reporter, surveillance footage showed multiple individuals entering the facility on the night of the 27th and leaving by car about 10 minutes later.

“Inside the vault room, there were around 900 safe deposit boxes, and two of them were broken into using what appeared to be crowbars. Although the boxes were secured with a dual-lock system consisting of a dial lock and a keyhole, both were forced open, and the cash inside is believed to have been stolen. One of the victims reportedly had around 400–500 million yen in cash stored inside the box.”

Several security cameras were installed at the building entrance, and anyone going down to the basement had to pass in front of them. The suspects are believed to have hidden their faces with hats or hoods. Police are investigating the whereabouts of individuals who fled the scene by car.

The safe deposit box facility where the incident occurred is also known as a filming location for dramas, and the operating company’s Instagram account has posted autographs from actors.

The surrounding area is a busy entertainment district lined with girls’ bars, cabaret clubs, and snack bars, with touts actively soliciting customers. At a smoking area just a few meters from the crime scene, salarymen returning from drinking were seen chatting casually. It was a place where it would be hard to imagine a facility storing billions of yen.

A man who has been using the safe deposit box for many years was interviewed. He said he returned from Shinbashi to Hachioji after hearing the news and, while expressing shock, explained more about the facility: “I’ve been using it for a long time, but this is the first time something like this has happened.”

“The box that was targeted was a high-value client safe deposit box. The one I use is a much smaller box, which costs about 6,000 yen a year, and I keep things like personal seals, contracts, and bank cash cards that would be dangerous to leave at home. With the recent rise in thefts and robberies, home is not safe anymore,” he said.

Security appears to be quite strict, and it reportedly takes three separate keys to access the contents of the safe deposit box.

“First, you need a card key to enter the basement. Then there is a separate key to enter the vault room, and another key to open the individual box, so the security is solid. Without understanding this system, you can’t even reach the vault room. The vault room key wasn’t broken, so I think it was either a box user or someone close to them. I’ve also seen people who looked suspicious using it. I even thought they might be storing money they can’t declare publicly,” said the man quoted earlier.

To obtain a card key, you need to present identification, and if you’re employed, your workplace is also verified. The process reportedly takes about a month. By checking usage history, it is possible to determine whose card key was used to enter. However, it is unlikely that this alone would easily lead to the culprit.

“A long time ago, I once happened to see someone storing stacks of cash. The boxes contained huge amounts of banknotes, and even gold bars. However, it’s very rare to encounter someone while they are depositing or withdrawing items. I think this incident must have required knowing exactly where the large amounts of money were stored,” he said.

Coincidentally, on the afternoon of the 28th, a robbery and assault incident involving over 2 kg of gold bars also occurred in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, shocking the public. In January of this year, there was also a case in Taito Ward where a suitcase containing about 420 million yen was stolen. In that case, several gang executives were arrested, and police are investigating it as a crime similar to “tokuryu”-type organized theft.

Whether this incident is also part of such a crime group will only become clear as the investigation progresses. In any case, the current wave of large-scale robberies is unprecedented and can be considered a highly alarming situation.