crime

'Lupin of Kansai' arrested for over 100 thefts

4 Comments
By SoraNews24

Here’s a story for any youngster out there who might be thinking a life of crime is “groovy,” as you kids put it. This is the tale of 46-year-old Hiromichi Komatsu who, upon his arrest, introduced himself to police as the “Lupin of Kansai.”

As we have seen before, the moniker of “Lupin” is occasionally used as a badge of honor in the criminal world, referring to either the master thief Lupin III of manga/anime fame or Arsene Lupin of French literature. However, it only really works when other people give you the name, otherwise you just sound like a dork.

Lupin of Kansai seemed all too happy to brag about his exploits upon his arrest, telling police, “I committed about 100 thefts in the Kansai area. However, the police were getting too close, so I came out to the Flower of O-Edo where I committed another 50 or so thefts.”

A powerful wave of embarrassment must have washed over the interrogation room as the suspect used the nickname “Flower of O-Edo” referring to Tokyo in a very flattering and somewhat antiquated term, as if to drive home his claim to being a truly sophisticated gentleman thief.

It was a sense of awkwardness that spread out far and wide over the internet along with the news.

“What are you doing, old man?”

“He called himself that? Maybe he wanted an interesting way of saying, ‘Hi, I’m an idiot.'”

“He sounds more like Goemon Ishikawa than Lupin.”

“He’s a little too into thieving.”

“That’s a sad excuse for Lupin.”

“How dare you utter the name ‘O-Edo,’ sir?!”

“I wonder how this guy sees the world.”

“Someone should tell him Lupin isn’t really that cool nowadays.”

“This must really bother the Lupin of Kanto.”

“Another guy in his 40s?! Do you lose all sense of morality after you turn 40?”

The last comment is referring to a recent incident in which a man robbed a convenience store with a Walther P-38 like Lupin III used, before returning to the scene of the crime drunk out of his mind. That suspect was also in his 40s.

However, rather than armed robbery, the Lupin of Kansai was truer to his namesake and engaged in burglary. In the event leading to his arrest, he broke into an office through the window and stole about 500,000 yen worth of computers and equipment. Police were able to track him down through similar thefts and subsequent sales of stolen goods to secondhand shops.

Source: NHK News Web, Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Lupin III fan arrested for robbing Tokyo convenience store with Walther P38

-- Tokyo clerk arrested for memorizing over 1,300 customers’ credit card info, using it online

-- Lupin III springs into action in trailer for live-action movie 【Video】

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

4 Comments
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I'm gonna call it first that people are going to say that anime did this to him.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What Ice Cube once said for rap music "Gangsta Rap made me do it"

I guess thieves in Japan will go for "Anime made me do it"

That “This must really bother the Lupin of Kanto.” hahah was funny as hell.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think any kids nowadays ever use the word 'groovy' to describe anything.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My phone decided on its own that I did not need the word don't in that sentence

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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