Pepper Spray and Suitcases: Rare R42m Street Heist Shakes Safe Tokyo

In a brazen and highly unusual crime for one of the world’s safest cities, a team of three robbers pulled off a daring street heist in central Tokyo, making off with suitcases containing a staggering 420 million yen (approximately R42 million) in cash. The incident, which saw the thieves deploy pepper spray against their victims, has sent shockwaves through the Japanese capital.

The robbery occurred around 9:30 PM on Thursday near Ueno station, a bustling transport hub and popular tourist area. According to police and local media, the victimsa group of five Chinese and Japanese nationalswere in the process of loading suitcases filled with the cash into a vehicle when they were ambushed.

A Rare Blot on a Low-Crime Record

Street crimes of this scale and audacity are exceptionally rare in Tokyo, a metropolis renowned for its order and low violent crime rates. The robbers’ use of pepper spray and their targeting of such a large, specific sum of money in a public place suggests a highly planned operation.

The motive for the victims carrying such an enormous amount of cash remains unclear. Fuji Television reported that the group told investigators the money was being delivered to currency exchange stations.

A Possible Linked Attack at Haneda Airport

In a possibly related incident that deepens the mystery, local media reported a second attack just hours later. In the early hours of Friday morning, a man carrying 190 million yen in cash was assaulted with pepper spray by a group of three men in a parking garage at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Police are investigating potential links between the two robberies, broadcaster TBS reported.

The twin incidents represent a significant challenge for Tokyo police and have captured national media attention, not just for the sums involved, but for the methoda direct, violent confrontation in public spaces that defies the city’s famed image of security. The investigation is now focused on uncovering the network behind the heists and the origin of the mysterious, mobile fortune.

{Source: IOL}

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