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Police in Tokyo have arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of theft after he allegedly fabricated a false real estate contract and stole the 150 million yen payment intended for a condo from a prospective buyer.
According to police, Taiyu Hayashi, an Ibaraki Prefecture resident whose occupation is unknown, met with a 23-year-old Chinese man in the lobby of a Tokyo hotel on March 1, Sankei Shimbun reported. Hayashi had claimed to be a real estate agent and had found out from the Chinese man's mother that he was looking to buy an apartment.
The victim brought a suitcase containing 150 million yen in cash to finalize the bogus property contract. Claiming to have another business meeting lined up, Hayashi asked the victim to wait in the lobby. He took the bag, telling the man he would look after it because it was dangerous to carry that much cash. He then left, saying he would be back to finalize details of the transaction. Sensing something suspicious about the deal, the Chinese man contacted his family, who alerted the police.
Police said the victim’s mother was introduced to Hayashi several years ago through an acquaintance and that Hayashi had been asked to introduce the mother to real estate properties.
When Hayashi first contracted the Chinese man, he lied about the sales price by claiming he could arrange for the sale of a condominium that normally costs 500 million yen for much less because prices had gone down due to COVID-19.
Police said Hayashi has denied the allegation and quoted him as saying “I took the cash, but I did not steal it or cheat anyone.”
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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BlackFlagCitizen
Police said Hayashi has denied the allegation and quoted him as saying “I took the cash, but I did not steal it or cheat anyone.”
Well, if you didn't sell or give the man anything, what exactly gives you the right to take his money? That would be theft.
garypen
"I shoved the pointy end of the knife into his stomach, but I did not stab or hurt anyone."
Goodlucktoyou
I would probably give him a suitcase with 150m for a 500m property. In a few years time it will be worth 700m.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Did this person return the money???.
Mark
Love this line............
“I took the cash, but I did not steal it or cheat anyone.”
kaimycahl
**Police said Hayashi has denied the allegation and quoted him as saying “I took the cash, but I did not steal it or cheat anyone.” **Ok Hayashi what we really believe is you were walking and it just so happen the 150 million yen fell from the sky and hit you in the head. Ok we get it!
Bjorn Tomention
Most people have 150 mill yen in cash walking around with a suitcase, havent you seen all those chinese pushing their suitcases about town, c'mon man they too heavy to carry
Pukey2
I'm surprised he didn't use the I don't remember excuse.
Jonathan Prin
And no one except Bjorn is a tad bit surprised a gaikokujin is having a walk with 150 M¥ in cash (just about 1.5 million dollars, pocket money for some it seems) while you need to declare money to customs over 10 000$...
Something very very very fishy.
Is real estate system so corrupted in Japan ?
James
I can guess all I want as to what the situation was and I did think of several different scenarios but in the end the guy was being honest about taking the cash so perhaps he really was going to get the items to finalise the deal he may even be able to get the condominium owner to confirm it. I guess if that is true then taking the money before finalizing the deal was a bad idea.
blahblah222
When you buy a house in Japan, the initial deposit to enter into contract have to be paid in cash. There are very few sellers willing to accept bank transfers or other forms of payment.
cleo
Before we bought the house we live in now we lived in a manshon and before that a flat, both bought not rented. For no transaction did any cash ever change hands. Everything went through the bank.
What kind of fool lets a stranger they met in a hotel lobby walk off with a bag full of cash? ?
JeffLee
People who pay for condos using suitcases filled with over a million dollars in cash almost deserve to be ripped off.
Chinese people are only allowed to take $50,000 out of a country a year, so this money appears to be dirty anyway, and so the victims should also be investigated.
Strangerland
What makes it dirty? Maybe they made that money in other countries. But let's say they didn't, and it was in China - do you agree with the dictatorship forcing the people to keep their money in China? Maybe you consider breaking the rules of a dictator to make something "dirty". I certainly have no moral issue with it at all myself.
JeffLee
@Strangerland
The authorities in Vancouver used to say that several years back when Chinese nationals were wheeling suitcases stuffed with cash into local real estate agents offices. What ensured was a fentanyl-casino-money laundering scandal that made Vancouver the least affordable place on Earth and that one criminologist told a commission was on a level of criminality never seen before in Canadian history.
Nowadays, no one in Vancouver is asking your question.
Rob-3
Huh?!?
He was right about that...
He should consider himself lucky that they caught him.