Tokyo police have arrested a 41-year-old man after he stole the purse of a 24-year-old woman on a train in Tokyo last month. Investigators said the master pickpocket is well known to them as "Shige the train thief."
According to police, the suspect -- Shigeyoshi Takahashi -- is a restaurant manager in Saitama Prefecture. Fuji TV reported that on March 12, Takahashi was in a train on the Saikyo line in Tokyo when he unzipped a shoulder bag belonging to the woman and stole her wallet containing ¥1,000.
Police said Takahashi has been arrested 10 times for pickpocketing in the past. Inside his restaurant office, police said they found approximately 60 brand-name purses and other items.
© Japan Today
17 Comments
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Mocheake
A car thief is someone who steals cars. A train thief is someone who steals... He's a master at getting caught also, it seems.
Meguroman
Should choose better victims - ¥1,000? Why doesn't he pawn the purses? Genius keeps 60 pieces of evidence at work.
Tohka
All that effort for 1000 yen....
Dennis Bauer
Looks more like a kleptomaniac tendency to me
goyabento
Arrested 10 times...makes me wonder the type business that would hire a person like this.
sheik_yerbouti
Does anybody know how much time this fool has already served?
CGB Spender
Spring-heel Shige!
1000 Yen? That poor woman is running around with so few money in her pockets?
Brian Wheway
It doesn't seem that he's learned his lesson having been nicked 10 times, so why don't the punishment go up say 6 months in prison ? and if he does it again 8 months and so on.
Juggernaut
7 times should an automatic life sentence. How many second chances does a man need?
jojo_in_japan
10x?! He's not a pick pocket ... more like a clumsy bumbling thief.
felguard
He seems like he's doing it more for the thrill and less for the money. He probably kept those purses as trophies.
NathalieB
Sounds like "Shige the Train Thief" needs to find himself a new hobby
Magnus Roe
Probably using plastic like any reasonable person should. (Although they are admittedly few and far between on this island)
Lowly
I think that this is not about the money or fear of getting caught. This guy has an irrepressible obssession with this habit, like a disease.
Wolfpack
Seems as though Shige is hardwired to steal (and to get caught stealing). It's a lifestyle choice.
602miko
a 41 years old shame .... poor woman the only 1000 yen left on her pocket was gone ....
CruisinJapan
Maybe he just likes collecting ladies wallets, but is too embarrassed to buy them.