A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a wallet from a sleeping passenger on the Chuo Line train in Tokyo and withdrawing cash using the victim's cards.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested Yuta Imamura, a 27-year-old man without a fixed address, on suspicion of stealing a wallet from a sleeping woman in her sixties on the JR Chuo Line. The incident occurred on the night of December 15, 2025, when Imamura is accused of taking the woman's tote bag, which contained 25,000 yen in cash. Following the theft, he allegedly used the stolen cash cards and credit cards to withdraw approximately 1.86 million yen from an ATM in Shinjuku the following morning. Imamura has reportedly chosen to remain silent during police questioning, leaving many details unclear.
Investigators analyzed security camera footage and found evidence linking Imamura to the crime, including remnants of the victim's smartphone SIM card on his confiscated phone. It is suspected that he may have used the SIM card to contact the card company in an attempt to discover the card's PIN number, pointing to a premeditated operation in which he and others were involved in targeting vulnerable passengers on public transport.
In response to this incident, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have issued safety tips for train travelers to avoid thefts while commuting. They recommend that individuals keep their bags close during crowded times, avoid falling asleep after drinking, and refrain from placing valuables on overhead racks to reduce the risk of theft. This alarming event sheds light on the ongoing issue of theft on public transport, particularly targeting individuals who are intoxicated and unaware of their surroundings.
