5th September 2026 – (Tokyo) A Chinese woman was robbed in June in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, losing a handbag containing about ¥8 million (around HK$400,000) in cash to two assailants. Japanese media reported on Friday, 4th September, that police have arrested a 22‑year‑old Chinese national who is a university student in connection with the case, while a second suspect is believed to have departed Japan.
Police said the student was detained on 12th August on suspicion of robbery causing injury. Investigators had earlier attempted to track the movements of the other suspect but confirmed he had already left the country.
According to the indictment, the student and an accomplice allegedly targeted a woman in her sixties at about 8.30pm on 10th June, seizing her handbag. When the victim resisted, one of the suspects purportedly sprayed what is believed to have been a tear‑gas‑like substance, causing contusions to her head. Officers believe the assailants had prior knowledge that the victim was carrying a large sum of cash and directed the attack accordingly.
