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Tokyo: Pair steal woman’s purse, use money to cover taxi fare

Feb 09 (tokyoreporter.com) - Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two men who are accused of snatching a woman’s purse last year. They later used cash found inside to cover a taxi fare, reports TV Asahi (Feb. 8).

In November, Kenshiro Shirakawa and Akihiro Okada, both 27, worked together to allegedly snatch the purse — containing about 30,000 yen in cash — from the woman, then 33, as she returned home on a road in Chiyoda Ward.

The woman attempted to hold on to her purse, causing her to suffer light injuries to her head, according to police.

The suspects, who are childhood friends, were out drinking prior to the incident. “What do you think about snatching a purse?” Shirakawa reportedly asked Okada. After Okada agreed, Shirakawa advised, “You had better buy gloves first.”

The pair then used the money to take a taxi to Yokohama, police said.

Upon Okada’s arrest in January, he admitted to the allegations. Shirakawa, who was arrested this week, also admits to the charges, police said.

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