In the early hours of May 14, a number of males broke right into a home in Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture, tying up a lady in her 60s and stealing money. Over the previous two weeks, comparable theft incidents have occurred in Gunma, Tochigi, and Nagano Prefectures.

Tied Up within the Early Morning… Suspects Still at Large

A lady in her 60s, residing alone, was attacked. She was asleep in her bed room when her wrists had been sure with tape. After the intruders left, she managed to free herself and search assist.

Victim’s cousin: “There was a knocking sound at the door, and my cousin came asking for help. She was trembling, saying ‘Help me.’ Suddenly, men entered her room, told her not to make noise, and bound her with tape. They even taped her face. She couldn’t see anything, but something sharp was pressed against her cheek.”

According to investigators, the lads demanded cash in damaged Japanese, suggesting they may be foreigners. They stole round 10,000 yen and fled.

Victim’s cousin: “She had locked all the doors. The police said the intruders broke in through a back window. They left through the front door, walking out boldly. My cousin believes there were two of them. They wore shoes indoors and left, making noise on the gravel path.”

This theft is one in all 4 comparable incidents previously half month, the place victims had been restrained and robbed. These instances have spanned Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, and Nagano Prefectures. Police are investigating the connections, noting that every one the homes had been remoted and situated in mountainous areas.

Victim Describes Entire Crime

The first incident occurred on April 30 in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. A 75-year-old man residing alone was attacked in his sleep. He was tied up with neckties and overwhelmed. The robbers stole a pockets containing 34,000 yen. The two males spoke damaged Japanese and communicated with one another in a international language.

On May 6, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, two males held a knife-like object to a person in his 50s, tied him up, and stole tens of hundreds of yen. This home was the one one the place the sufferer was not residing alone; his 90-year-old father was additionally current however didn’t encounter the intruders.

Nearby, an deserted home was discovered ransacked, although nothing was stolen. It is unclear if the robbers had particularly focused their victims upfront.

The third incident occurred on May 8 in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture. The 70-year-old sufferer described his ordeal.

Victim: “They broke in through the glass. I was woken up. One of them pinned me down so I couldn’t move. They were there for about 30 minutes. One of them kept holding me down. They said, ‘Don’t make noise or I’ll kill you.’ He had a knife. I thought I would be killed.”

The two males not solely tied his palms but additionally taped his face, blinding him. They stole about 80,000 yen.

Victim: “They were young, maybe in their early twenties. They seemed foreign. I wish they would work honestly. I live on a pension.”

All 4 incidents occurred between midnight and early morning. Except for the Nagano case, the victims had been residing alone and attacked whereas asleep.

Police have launched a joint investigation throughout Tochigi, Nagano, and Gunma Prefectures and are wanting into the potential connections with the May 14 incident in Fukushima.

Is This “Dark Job” Involvement?

Former Saitama Prefectural Police investigator Seizo Sasaki was requested concerning the commonalities.

(Q: Given the similarities, is it potential the identical perpetrators are accountable?)

Seizo Sasaki: “The locations are all in mountainous areas, and the victim profiles and methods of restraint are very similar, suggesting the same perpetrators. In these areas, there are few streetlights and security cameras, which might have been intentionally chosen to avoid capture.”

(Q: Could this be associated to “dark jobs” just like the Luffy Group?)

Seizo Sasaki: “In ‘dark job’ robberies, perpetrators often target wealthy individuals using detailed lists. This trend is not evident here, as the focus seems to be on avoiding capture by selecting secluded locations. Thus, it is unlikely that this is similar to other ‘dark job’ cases. Recently, local crime has increased, even in rural areas, requiring the installation of streetlights and security cameras.”

Source: ANN