Yakuza member among 3 more arrested over $3.4 million theft on Tokyo street

Tokyo police have arrested a senior member of the yakuza crime syndicate along with two other individuals in connection with the brazen theft of approximately 423 million yen (S$3.4 million) in cash. The money was stolen from three suitcases on a street in Tokyo's Ueno district back in January.

The three newly apprehended suspects have been identified as Keiichi Yamaguchi, a 29-year-old executive within the crime syndicate, and Tokyo residents Makoto Kitahara, 42, and Yuichiro Miyakawa, 52. These arrests bring the total number of individuals implicated in the case to eight, as five others have already been indicted.

Authorities suspect the trio conspired with others to execute the heist, allegedly recruiting individuals and designating a meeting point for the crime. Police have not yet disclosed whether the suspects have confessed to the allegations. During searches of their residences and other locations, investigators found approximately 3.6 million yen (about $27,000) in cash, believed to be part of the stolen sum.

Investigators are working to piece together the motive behind the large-scale cash theft. Current evidence suggests the victims intended to use the substantial amount of money to purchase gold in Hong Kong, indicating a potential illicit transaction or investment scheme that went awry.