Thefts Target Female Dressing Rooms at Japan Public Bathhouses

Tokyo, Nov. 14 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo police have detected a series of theft cases involving a group targeting women's changing rooms at public bathhouses, with the amount of losses seen totaling at least 100 million yen.

In the cases, members of the theft group opened lockers using keys they obtained in some way, stealing credit cards of customers at bathing facilities including "super sento" deluxe bathhouses.

Since November last year, the international criminal investigation section of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a total of 17 members of the group, mostly Chinese nationals.

The MPD, accelerating efforts to uncover the group's theft methods, believes that the group has more members.

Theft cases believed to have involved the group were confirmed at dozens of bathing facilities in the Kanto eastern region.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]