Victims in Four Prefectures Held Down in Midnight House Robberies

Tied Up in the Early Morning... Suspects Still at Large

A woman in her 60s, living alone, was attacked. She was asleep in her bedroom when her wrists were bound with tape. After the intruders left, she managed to free herself and seek help.

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 men demanded money in broken Japanese, suggesting they might be foreigners. They stole around 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 robbery is one of four similar incidents in the past half month, where victims were restrained and robbed. These cases have spanned Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, and Nagano Prefectures. Police are investigating the connections, noting that all the houses were isolated and located in mountainous areas.

Victim Describes Entire Crime

The first incident occurred on April 30 in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. A 75-year-old man living alone was attacked in his sleep. He was tied up with neckties and beaten. The robbers stole a wallet containing 34,000 yen. The two men spoke broken Japanese and communicated with each other in a foreign language.

On May 6, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, two men held a knife-like object to a man in his 50s, tied him up, and stole tens of thousands of yen. This house was the only one where the victim was not living alone; his 90-year-old father was also present but did not encounter the intruders.

Nearby, an abandoned house was found ransacked, though nothing was stolen. It is unclear if the robbers had specifically targeted their victims in advance.

The third incident occurred on May 8 in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture. The 70-year-old victim 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 men not only tied his hands but also 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 four incidents occurred between midnight and early morning. Except for the Nagano case, the victims were living alone and attacked while asleep.

Police have launched a joint investigation across Tochigi, Nagano, and Gunma Prefectures and are looking into the possible connections with the May 14 incident in Fukushima.

Is This "Dark Job" Involvement?

Former Saitama Prefectural Police investigator Seizo Sasaki was asked about the commonalities.

(Q: Given the similarities, is it possible the same perpetrators are responsible?)

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 related to "dark jobs" 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