Stay updated with breaking news from Komae. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Police believe the crimes committed in six prefectures in eastern Japan may be linked to three other cases, including one in Hiroshima.
Members of a group suspected of staging robberies across east Japan are believed to have been involved in similar crimes in two western prefectures as well, investigative sources say.
A group behind a violent burglary in the capital was likely involved in similar cases in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, as well as planning for a deadly robbery in Tokyo’s Komae city, investigative sources said.
Authorities have noted similarities in a series of break-ins since November — including one that resulted in the death of a 90-year-old woman.
The address of a Tokyo murder victim was found in a message of a cellphone seized in connection with a separate incident in the capital, reinforcing a belief among police that criminal gangs are operating in a coordinated manner, investigative sources said.