At Least 14 Robberies in Japan Seen Linked to Same Group

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)--At least 14 robberies in eight of Japan's 47 prefectures since last October are believed to have been committed by the same group, with more than 30 people having been arrested, sources in the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The 14 incidents include one in the city of Komae in Tokyo, which also involved the murder of an elderly woman. The police are now seeking to unravel the criminal group and its activities, suspecting that there is a leader directing it.

The eight prefectures are Tokyo, and Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa in eastern Japan, and Hiroshima and Yamaguchi in western Japan.

The NPA suspects that the same group is responsible for the 14 cases, based on the manner of the crime and the relationship between the suspects. The arrested perpetrators are in their teens to 30s and were scouted on social media.

The incidents other than the robbery and murder in Komae are one attempted robbery and murder, nine robberies resulting in injury and three robberies. Cases have not been confirmed since the Komae incident, which took place Jan. 19.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]