Saturday May 26, 2012

Thieves get away with Y50 mil in Ginza jewelry store heist

TOKYO —

The manager of a jewelry store in Ginza called police Wednesday morning telling them there was a hole in the concrete wall at the back of his store, and that cash and jewelry worth about 50 million yen in total was missing from the safe, police said.

According to police, the manager noticed the safe had been forced open when he entered the store just before 11.30 a.m. Police said the front entrance to the store was not tampered with, but that there was a hole in the 10-centimeter-thick concrete wall at the back of the store, with the hole measuring about 70 centimeters wide and 120 centimeters in height. Police also said that the store was closed on Tuesday and that the cash and goods were accounted for at the close of business on Monday.

Police believe the crime may have been committed by an organized group referred to as “bakusetsudan” in the media - their name coined from the recent spate of thefts involving holes blown into the walls of stores.

News reports

  • 0

    NeoJamal

    You would've thought jewellers would've learnt to deal with such textbook burglary methods by now.

  • 0

    Spanishwoman

    I can't believe a jewelry shop leaves its cash overnight at the store. Good lesson.

  • 0

    PuffinMuffin

    Holes in the wall, they're getting sophisticated

  • 0

    neverknow2

    bakusetsudan

    This name means what??? Is this not an English language paper??

  • 0

    telecasterplayer

    neverknow2, "bakusetsudan" means "explosive theft group" and it is based in Hong Kong. Apparently this syndicate is suspected in robberies going back to the 80's. "Bakudan" means "bomb" I guess.

  • 0

    whyamiinjapan

    The concrete wall is only TEN CENTIMETERS THICK. Man, what are people thinking, leaving valuables behind a puny wall like that? You could bust that with a sledgehammer. Someone could start a group called the "daihammaasetsudan".

  • 0

    Yelnats

    Nobody heard it? No vibration security devices? No cameras? What kind of safe is that if it could be forced open. Even my fire box is better than what that store had.

  • 0

    BBLeo

    Never heard of 'bakusetsudan' they must be special and hard worker for drilling the hole. Bad alarm system without monitoring that couldn't prevent 'Bandidos' helping themselves. Was this perhaps an insurance job from the owner? Was he insured? If he wasn't than he is stupid. To me this was an open invitation for 'come and get it and catch me if you can.' ‘THE WHOLE WORLD IS BLEEDING FOR MONEY.’

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