Mizuho Bank officials said Thursday that the total amount of cash stolen by a former employee from clients' safe deposit boxes was ¥66 million ($440,733).

The former employee, who was in her 30s at the time, stole the money from the safe deposit boxes of two clients at the bank's Hiroo branch in Tokyo between January 2016 and June 2019, according to the bank.

She was arrested in 2021 for allegedly stealing some ¥52 million — under the guise of bank loans — from the branch, where she worked as a customer service staff member.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Mizuho Bank President Masahiko Kato said, "We're sorry for causing concern to our clients."

This is the first time that a senior official of the bank has spoken to reporters and apologized over the scandal.

The former employee bought clothes and went on trips using the money stolen from the safe deposit boxes. The bank has already compensated clients who were affected by her actions.

Mizuho Bank found out that the former employee had been stealing from clients during a probe into the theft she committed at the Hiroo branch, which the bank discovered in June 2019.

She was dismissed in October 2019.

The bank said that it did not disclose the theft involving the safe deposit boxes at first because its clients had requested that the matter be kept private. The bank has taken disciplinary action against executives whose oversight allowed the crime to take place.

Mizuho Bank has not found any other similar cases of theft.

Last year, a string of thefts from safe deposit boxes were discovered at MUFG Bank. A former employee was arrested last month over the thefts.