Ex-Security Firm Employee Arrested for Alleged ATM Thefts

Tokyo, May 11 (Jiji Press)--A former employee of a unit of security company Alsok Co. has been arrested on suspicion of stealing money from automated teller machines he was assigned to manage, it was learned Monday.

The Tsukiji police station of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department arrested 57-year-old Tsuyoshi Oyama. The suspect has admitted the allegation, telling investigators he committed the crime out of despair after his parents died two years ago and he became dissatisfied with work, informed sources said.

Oyama is suspected of stealing a total of 135 million yen from ATMs in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on several occasions between Dec. 26 and 30 last year.

According to police sources, Oyama worked for Alsok Stationed Security Co. for about five years and was responsible for managing ATMs at the time of the incident. A surprise inspection by the company found a cash shortage, and security camera footage showed the suspect stealing cash.

Oyama went missing after taking sick leave on Dec. 31. He was later found at a hotel in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, with tens of millions of yen in cash and luxury goods.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]