Robbery of a Rolex watch shop in Tokyo's Ginza district

[SBFNews]

 

[SBFNews]

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Four held after robbery at luxury watch shop in Ginza​

• BY KATHLEEN BENOZA​

• STAFF WRITER
• May 9, 2023

Four teenagers were arrested on Monday after a brazen daylight robbery at a luxury watch shop in Tokyo’s Ginza district, with the masked assailants threatening the staff before smashing showcases and stealing merchandise.

At around 6:15 p.m., three suspects entered the Quark Ginza 888 shop, threatening the staff with a knife before using crowbar-like objects to break into showcases, escaping in a rental car which had the license plate switched, investigative sources said.

A video posted to social media showed a group of suspects, wearing white masks, breaking multiple glass showcases and taking products before rushing to a vehicle parked nearby that then sped away. People are seen walking past the store as the heist unfolds, some glancing inside. A man then closes the door to the shop, but one of the masked suspects later reopens it. A woman closes the door again twice, the last time pushing it against one of the assailants just before the group runs to the waiting vehicle.

A photo taken by a witness shows masked robbers inside the watch shop in Tokyo’s Ginza district on Monday evening. | KYODO

There were five employees in the store at the time but none were injured, NHK reported. The broadcaster said police are probing the possibility that over 100 luxury watches were taken from the Ginza shop and that more suspects were involved, as witnesses said two people were waiting in the car during the incident. A black bag containing around 30 watches was found near the getaway car.

Investigators said all four suspects are residents of Yokohama — one 16-year-old unemployed male, an 18-year-old high school student, and two 19-year-olds, one who has a part-time job and the other whose occupation is unknown. The high school student has denied the charges, while the other three suspects have admitted to the allegations.

The four are also facing charges for a break-in at another building in Minato Ward shortly after the Ginza robbery, investigative sources said.

The suspects were apprehended in Akasaka in Minato Ward.

The identity, address and mugshot of the 16-year-old suspect will not be made public based on Article 61 of the juvenile law, which establishes that releasing such information could impede rehabilitation.

A witness photo shows masked robbers leaving the watch shop on Monday. | KYODO

However, a revision to the juvenile law last April established Article 68, under which 18- and 19-year-olds are called “specified juveniles” and are no longer subject to the protections given by Article 61. If the 18- and 19-year-old suspects are re-arrested and formally charged with robbery or other crimes, details about them may be reported in the media under the revised law.

The Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office has established a criteria for considering the release of names of specified juveniles, placing emphasis on cases where the crime is serious and has a major impact on society.

For specified juveniles, the scope of cases that are sent back from the family court to the prosecutor's office has been expanded to include robbery, forcible sexual intercourse, and arson of an inhabited building, in addition to murder and manslaughter.

Information from Kyodo added

 

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Once you reach puberty, you are considered an adult, and should e treated as such.

 

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The lady at the entrance has balls made of steel, an organ many sinkies lack.