The so-called “300million yen robbery”, which happened in Fuchu City, Tokyo, in 1968, is one of the most unforgettable crimes in Japan.
This case was that the salary of 300million yen cash to be paid the employees of Toshiba’s Fuchu factory was stolen on the way from a nearby bank branch to the factory. A cash transport vehicle with four bank employees was ordered to be stopped by a motorcycle police officer chasing from behind at a terrific speed. The officer told them、”Your bank’s branch manager’s house was exploded a moment ago and I have to check your car in that an explosive must be also set in your transport car”. Saying so, he began to check where the explosive was in the car. When he was looking into the underbody of the car, he screamed, “A dynamite is here!! Get out of the car and run away!!”, while secretly igniting a smoke grenade emitting smoke and orange light under the car. After all the related people ran away, he drove the empty car with big money and sped off into the distance. Thereafter the bank employees testified that they believed him to be a real motorcycle police officer and he bravely drove the car with the dynamite to a remote place far enough for their safety. The criminal sent a threatening note four days before the robbery, stating that the bank’s branch manager’s house would be blown up. So, all the bank employees became nervous about explosive.
He was as if a great magician, actor and psychologist.
300 million yen in those years is equivalent to present time 3 billion yen (19 million USD).
He robbed the bank of the big money only in a few minutes without even a single injury. Despite the authorities’ strenuous effort, this case ended in the state of limitation in 1975.
The photo shows the very spot where the cash transport vehicle was commanded to stop by the fake motorcycle police officer.
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