300 million yen robbery
Encyclopedia
, also known as the 300 million yen affair or incident, was the single largest heist in Japanese history
. It occurred on the morning of December 10, 1968 in Tokyo
, Japan
. As of 2011 it remains unsolved.
branch employees of the of Nihon Shintaku Ginko (bank
) transported 294,307,500 yen in the trunk of a company car. The metal boxes contained bonuses for the employees of Toshiba's
Fuchu
factory
. They were stopped in the street next to Tokyo Fuchu prison
by a young uniformed officer on a police
motorcycle. The policeman informed them that their branch manager's house had been blown up, and they had received a warning that dynamite
had been planted in the transport car. The four employees exited the vehicle while the officer crawled under the car to locate the bomb. Moments later, the employees noticed smoke and flames under the car as the officer rolled out, shouting that it was about to explode. When the employees retreated to the prison walls, the policeman got into the car and drove away.
he had ignited while under the car. At some point, the thief abandoned the bank's car and transferred the metal boxes to another car, stolen beforehand. That car too was abandoned, and the boxes transferred once again to another previously stolen vehicle.
120 pieces of evidence
were left at the scene of the crime, including the "police" motorcycle, which had been painted white. However, the evidence was primarily common everyday items, scattered on purpose to confuse the police investigation.
A 19-year-old boy, who was a son of an incumbent police officer, was suspected just after the robbery. He died of potassium cyanide
on December 15, 1968. He had no alibi and knew a lot about police officers. However, the money wasn't found and he was already dead. His death was deemed a suicide and he was not guilty, at least according to official record.
A massive police investigation was launched, posting 780,000 montage pictures throughout Japan. The list of suspects included 110,000 names, and 170,000 policemen participated in the investigation — the largest investigation in Japanese history.
On December 12, 1969, a 26-year-old man was suspected by the Mainichi Shimbun
. He was arrested on an unrelated charge, but he had an airtight alibi which was that he had taken an examination. It was a false report, and a police officer Mitsuo Muto, who arrested him, was accused for abuse of power.
on the crime passed without an arrest.
A friend of the 19-year-old boy was arrested on an unrelated charge on November 15, 1975 just before the statute of limitations. He had a large amount of money and was suspected of the robbery. He was 18 years old when the robbery occurred. The police asked him for an explanation about the reason why he had a large amount of money, but he didn't say and they weren't able to prove that his money had come from the robbery.
By 1988, the thief was also relieved of any civil liabilities
, allowing him to tell his story without fear of legal repercussions. He has yet to come forward.
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
. It occurred on the morning of December 10, 1968 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of 2011 it remains unsolved.
Robbery
On the morning of December 10, 1968, four KokubunjiKokubunji, Tokyo
is a city in Tokyo, Japan.As of 1 June 2008, the city has an estimated population of 117,335 . The total area is 11.48 km²...
branch employees of the of Nihon Shintaku Ginko (bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
) transported 294,307,500 yen in the trunk of a company car. The metal boxes contained bonuses for the employees of Toshiba's
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
Fuchu
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
. They were stopped in the street next to Tokyo Fuchu prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
by a young uniformed officer on a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
motorcycle. The policeman informed them that their branch manager's house had been blown up, and they had received a warning that dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
had been planted in the transport car. The four employees exited the vehicle while the officer crawled under the car to locate the bomb. Moments later, the employees noticed smoke and flames under the car as the officer rolled out, shouting that it was about to explode. When the employees retreated to the prison walls, the policeman got into the car and drove away.
Investigation
The bank employees had believed the thief was a policeman, and had accepted his story about the bomb as he had sent threatening letters to the bank manager beforehand. The smoke and flames turned out to be the result of a warning flareFlare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
he had ignited while under the car. At some point, the thief abandoned the bank's car and transferred the metal boxes to another car, stolen beforehand. That car too was abandoned, and the boxes transferred once again to another previously stolen vehicle.
120 pieces of evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
were left at the scene of the crime, including the "police" motorcycle, which had been painted white. However, the evidence was primarily common everyday items, scattered on purpose to confuse the police investigation.
A 19-year-old boy, who was a son of an incumbent police officer, was suspected just after the robbery. He died of potassium cyanide
Potassium cyanide
Potassium cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula KCN. This colorless crystalline compound, similar in appearance to sugar, is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include jewelry for chemical gilding and...
on December 15, 1968. He had no alibi and knew a lot about police officers. However, the money wasn't found and he was already dead. His death was deemed a suicide and he was not guilty, at least according to official record.
A massive police investigation was launched, posting 780,000 montage pictures throughout Japan. The list of suspects included 110,000 names, and 170,000 policemen participated in the investigation — the largest investigation in Japanese history.
On December 12, 1969, a 26-year-old man was suspected by the Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by .-History:The history of the Mainichi Shimbun begins with founding of two papers during the Meiji period. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun was founded first, in 1872. The Mainichi claims that it is the oldest existing Japanese daily newspaper...
. He was arrested on an unrelated charge, but he had an airtight alibi which was that he had taken an examination. It was a false report, and a police officer Mitsuo Muto, who arrested him, was accused for abuse of power.
The statute of limitations
The 7-year investigation offered few answers, and in December 1975, the statute of limitationsStatute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
on the crime passed without an arrest.
A friend of the 19-year-old boy was arrested on an unrelated charge on November 15, 1975 just before the statute of limitations. He had a large amount of money and was suspected of the robbery. He was 18 years old when the robbery occurred. The police asked him for an explanation about the reason why he had a large amount of money, but he didn't say and they weren't able to prove that his money had come from the robbery.
By 1988, the thief was also relieved of any civil liabilities
Legal liability
Legal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
, allowing him to tell his story without fear of legal repercussions. He has yet to come forward.