Friday, January 30, 2026-A brazen robbery unfolded Thursday night in central Tokyo as a team of three street robbers made off with suitcases containing approximately $2.7 million in cash in one of the city’s most unusual street heists.
The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. near Ueno station, a popular area for both commuters and tourists, where the suspects reportedly used pepper spray to incapacitate one of the victims before fleeing with the cash. Police say the crime is exceptionally rare in Tokyo, a metropolis known for its low street crime rates.
Local reports indicate that the victims were a group of five individuals — both Chinese and Japanese nationals — who were loading three large suitcases into a vehicle when the robbers struck. Investigators are still trying to determine why the group was in possession of such a large sum, though some told authorities they were transporting the money for delivery to currency exchange outlets. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has launched an active search for the suspects, who remain at large.
In a potentially related incident early Friday morning, another man carrying nearly 190 million yen in cash was sprayed with a similar irritant at a parking garage near Haneda Airport, though nothing was taken.
Police are exploring whether the two events are connected as part of a broader investigation into targeted robberies involving large sums of money. The unusual scale and method of these heists have sparked concern among residents and authorities alike, underscoring a rare but significant breach of security in Japan’s capital.
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