Japanese police are investigating at least seven recent robberies in Tokyo and nearby prefectures for possible links. All of them were committed by people recruited via social media.
The National Police Agency is due to hold a meeting of senior investigators from police departments of the affected prefectures on Tuesday to share information on the cases.
In one case on October 1, robbers broke into a house in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. They threatened a couple in their 80s with a knife and tied them up with adhesive tape before fleeing with cash and other items. The couple suffered cuts and other slight injuries.
Police arrested three people on suspicion of robbery and bodily injury. They are said to have responded to shady ads offering part-time jobs via a highly secure messaging app. A fourth suspect, who had been placed on a nationwide wanted list, was arrested on Monday.
Testimonies from the suspects and analyses of their smartphones led investigators to two other recent robbery-assaults.
One occurred on September 18 in Saitama City, and the other on September 30 in Tokyo’s Kokubunji City.
NHK has learned from the National Police Agency that investigators are now looking into cases that occurred since August in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures to see if they are connected.
These cases include a robbery of a pawn shop in September in Kamakura City.
In total, the National Police Agency says investigators suspect links in at least seven cases in the four prefectures of Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.
Police are aiming to uncover how the crimes were organized and arrest the ringleaders.