Osaka: Pair nabbed over Y280 million luxury theft in Sakai

Mar 26, 2021 | News On Japan

Mar 26, 2021 (tokyoreporter.com) - Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two men over an alleged break-in in Sakai City last year that netted them nearly 300 million yen in high-end valuables, reports NHK.

Early on September 1, Ryuta Odate and Hirokazu Kobayashi, both 32, allegedly broke into a high-end apartment in Kita Ward and stole about 5 million yen in cash and 28 items valued at around 230 million yen.

Among the items stolen were high-end wristwatches stored in wooden cases, one of which was valued at around 40 million yen. Other items stolen included brand-name bags valued up to 10 million yen each.

Police arrested the pair on suspicion of trespassing and theft on Wednesday. However, police did not reveal whether the suspects admit to the allegations.

High-end watches were among the items stolen from a residence in Sakai City last year

According to police, a man in his 40s and his wife live in the residence. They were not home at the time of the incident. The thieves gained access by wrenching open the front door with a crowbar.

At least some of the bags are believed to have been converted to cash at a used-goods dealer, police said.

Police had already been apprehended over another theft case. They surfaced as a person of interest in this case after persons resembling them were seen in security camera footage.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.