3 Teens Arrested in Western Japan for Alleged Robbery Preparation; Police Suspect Social Media Recruitment

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:00 JST, October 22, 2024

The Yamaguchi prefectural police arrested three male teenagers on Monday on suspicion of preparing for a robbery, after they were allegedly caught scouting for an opportunity to break into a residence in Hikari, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The three had no prior acquaintance, and the police believe they are part of a “tokuryu” — a type of anonymous and fluid criminal group whose members are connected via social media and repeatedly come together and disperse.

According to the police report: one suspect claims to be a third-year high school student, 18, and is from Tako, Chiba Prefecture; another is a 16-year-old first-year high school student who claims to be from Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture; and the other is a 14-year-old third-year junior high school student from Ryugasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture. The trio is suspected of scouting the home of a man in his 30s at around 8 p.m. on Sunday while carrying tools for breaking in. The police have not disclosed the suspects’ statements regarding the charges.

Patrolling officers reportedly noticed the three youths standing on a street near the man’s home and approached them for questioning. During the questioning, one of them reportedly said, “I was planning to commit a robbery.”