Tokyo police have arrested a 21-year-old security inspector at Haneda Airport on suspicion of theft after he allegedly stole cash from a passenger during a baggage inspection.
The suspect, Ryu Matsumoto of Tokyo¡¯s Ota Ward, has admitted to the charges, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
¡°I wanted to experience the thrill of stealing cash. The job was tough, and I was thinking about quitting. I thought I could use the money to help cover my living expenses,¡± he reportedly told investigators.
According to police, Matsumoto started working in April for a Tokyo-based security company. Under contract with Japan Airlines, he was responsible for guiding passengers through baggage inspections at security checkpoints.
Police believe he stole a total of approximately ?1.5 million ($10,157) from 70 to 80 passengers since around August.
The specific incident that led to his arrest occurred on Saturday at approximately 6:25 p.m. at the security checkpoint of the airport¡¯s Terminal 1.
While a male passenger momentarily looked away, Matsumoto allegedly pretended to adjust the man¡¯s baggage and stole ?90,000 in cash that had been placed in a tray for screening.
Matsumoto is suspected of putting the cash into his chest pocket and moving to a restroom stall in the airport, where he hid the money inside the core of a toilet paper roll.
The incident came to light when the male passenger, after completing a body check, noticed his money was no longer in the tray. Surveillance footage led authorities to identify Matsumoto as a suspect.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.