Quark Ginza 888, a luxury watch store in Ginza, Tokyo’s fanciest neighbourhood, was robbed in broad daylight at around 6:15pm on May 8, 2023.
Made off with items worth over S$983,200
Based on footage of the incident circulating online, three individuals wearing different light-coloured masks and clad in black from top to toe were allegedly involved in the robbery.
They were armed with crowbar-like tools, which they used to smash the glass display cases, before reaching for the items on display and stowing them away into black duffle bags.
A female bystander attempted to contain the trio in the store, closing the glass door on them several times.
She got into a brief pushing match with one of the suspects before he shouted at her and she relented.
The suspect pushed the door wide open and the trio ran out of the shop toward a waiting white Toyota Alphard.
The woman, and the five employees within the store, were unharmed.
The trio boarded the Toyota and promptly fled the scene. Witnesses claimed that there were another two more individuals waiting in the car.
AFP and The Japan Times reported that the trio allegedly made off with over 100 items worth more than 100 million yen (S$983,200).
Four male teens, aged 16 to 19, arrested
The Japanese police found the Toyota abandoned on a street in Minato, Tokyo at around 6:30pm on May 8, according to Asahi.
They found four male teenagers in an apartment in the Akasaka area, located about 60 metres from spot where the van was abandoned.
The four individuals were identified as a 16-year-old unemployed male, an 18-year-old high school student, and two 19-year-olds, one of whom has a part-time job while the other’s occupation is unknown.
All four are residents of Yokohama in Kanagawa, Japan, which is outside Tokyo.
The high school student has denied the charges, while the other three suspects have admitted to the allegations.
The four suspects are also facing charges for allegedly breaking into the apartment building in Akasaka.
Investigations revealed that the getaway car was a rental, and its licence plate had been switched.
Another individual remains at large.
It is unclear if the items taken have been recovered.
@mothershipsg No employees were injured in the heist #tiktoksg #sgnews #japan #ginza #robbery ♬ original sound – Mothership.sg
Top image screenshot from @raystube/Twitter
