The Osaka Prefectural Police arrested two individuals, including a yakuza member, on Tuesday on suspicion of stealing a delivery vehicle loaded with approximately 170 Rolex watches in the city of Osaka.
One of the suspects is Shinya Onishi, a 52-year-old member of the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate’s Kodokai faction.
The duo are suspected of stealing a light truck loaded with about 200 items, including luxury watches, worth about ¥283 million ($1.9 million) at a street in Osaka’s Chuo Ward on May 21 at around 8:45 a.m.
The police have not revealed whether they have admitted to the allegations.
According to the police, the truck driver, a woman in her 60s, had left the vehicle, which was unmarked, for about three minutes to make a delivery. The driver did not take the vehicle's key with her, nor did she lock the doors.
The suspects are said to have taken advantage of this and drove off in the truck.
The police are investigating the incident as a case of organized crime involving a syndicate leader who is familiar with how luxury watches are delivered.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.