Police in Tokyo have arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of stealing a bag containing 1.2 million yen in cash from a 20-year-old woman in an elevator in May.
According to police, Hideaki Takahashi, a company employee from Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, and the woman were the only occupants in the elevator which is in a building in the Kabukicho red-light district of Shinjuku, Sankei Shimbun reported. The woman was on her way up to a host club on the third floor when Takahashi ― who was standing behind her ― suddenly placed a paper bag over her head, grabbed her bag and got off the elevator before it left the first floor.
Police said the woman was not injured.
Takahashi, who was identified after an analysis of building surveillance camera footage, has admitted to the charge, police said, adding that he told them he sensed that the woman had cash in the bag.
Police said Takahashi is also being questioned about a number of similar robberies since last November.
© Japan Today
24 Comments
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Danielsan
Elevator robber ends up getting the shaft!
Laguna
He's going down.
Mark
He SENSED!!
Wow, didn't know we had this sense, LOL
snowymountainhell
“Sensed”? - Most likely means he ‘knew’ the time & place. - Some interested ‘entity’, most likely wanted to ‘collect’ more cash than their regular ‘cut’.
snowymountainhell
“Don’t damage ‘the goods’.” - A paper bag over her head and uninjured should do. -
“Now,… Get back to work !! ”
starpunk
surveillance camera footage
'Sensed' nothing! This joker didn't 'sense' that we was being watched and his recorded.
Going down to the police station in a paddywagon. Big Dummy is heading to jail.
Sven Asai
No sense needed. Such an elevator in a nightclub district’s building has seen more money than most countries have as a yearly GDP. ROFL
jojo_in_japan
OK....the answer may be obvious, but ... Why is someone carrying that much cash, esp in Kabukicho?
Pacific Saury
Had he put the paper bag over his own head, he might have gotten away with it.
starpunk
Just a hunch but some criminals carry bags or suitcases full of cash on the way to meet another, say a dope deal.
blahblah222
If you have read the japanese news, she was going to a host club. And the guy purposely targetted girls going to host clubs knowing they would have money. Typically most girls working in night industry work for their hosts, and 1 night expenses of 1-5M yen is common. This is why most hosts live in Tower Mansions worth hundreds of millions of yen and drive luxury cars.
WilliB
jojo_in_japan
The article says she was on her way to a host club, did you miss that? So, while I am not excusing the robbery, she was going to spend the money anway. Only instead of Dem Pery pyramids and karaoke with overgroomed hosts, she got a paper bag over her head.
jiji Xx
Pacific SauryToday 11:08 am JST
wunnnderfull.... my Sunday evening laugh. thank you!
gogogo
Inside job, a host tipped off his friend.
marcels
What goes up must come down
Pacific Saury
Glad you liked it. I make a lot of misses, so that means a lot!
kokoro7
(Wherever he's employed..) "Mr. Takahashi, the boss would like to see you in his office.
"Gee, I wonder what that's about?"
"Oh, I don't know.....something about your employment status."
Yume
wait wait, he steal the money and no sexual harassment? What... Japan is changing...
oldman_13
Another random violent crime, happening with regularity.
Fighto!
Yeah, except for the fact that ALL crime statistics reveal otherwise.
Reading a couple of crime stories daily on JT is NOT proof that "random violent crime" is increasing. If you can post figures to suggest otherwise, please do so.
And downvoting is not an acceptable response.
ShinkansenCaboose
Where did he get a paper bag?
I only see them at McDonald’s. 50th anniversary bag must have looked funny with that happy face on it.
Jessie Lee
At least the thief was environmentally conscious and used recyclable bag rather than plastic.