Photo/Illutration A house in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, where an elderly resident was injured during a robbery in the early hours of Oct. 1 (Shun Tsunekawa)

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Prefecture—In another incident potentially involving an online criminal network, one man was arrested and two others were detained after a home robbery ended in injury here on Oct. 1.

At least four men broke into a house in the Kitanoshinmachi district of the city at 2:05 a.m. by smashing the glass of the back door, according to police. They tied up an 85-year-old man and his 83-year-old wife with duct tape.

The robbers demanded money at knifepoint, injuring the husband's left arm. They stole around 80,000 yen ($554) and fled.

The couple called police, who arrested one of the suspects and detained two other men near the house.

The man who was arrested has admitted to the allegations. Investigators are still identifying the suspect, who they believe to be in his 40s.

He claimed that he received the shady job offer through an encrypted messaging app. This led police to suspect he is involved in one of the emerging, loosely connected criminal networks; these online group are known for their anonymous and fluid memberships. 

Police also discovered two cars in the parking lot of a neighborhood convenience store, likely belonging to the robbers. The vehicles' license plates were issued in Fukuoka and Gunma prefectures.

This is the latest in a string of similar robberies in Saitama Prefecture and the surrounding areas. Perpetrators are often ordinary individuals with regular day jobs who were recruited through social media.

Previously, law enforcement arrested three men who were suspects of a separate home invasion that occurred in the prefectural capital on Sept. 18.

The men are accused of injuring the two residents—a woman in her 60s and her mother who is in her 80s—and stealing cash.

Related News