Large-scale cash robberies have occurred in Tokyo and Hong Kong, and two employees of cryptocurrency exchange shops have been arrested.

News Brief

PANews reported on February 1st that two brazen cash heists struck Tokyo and Hong Kong within a mere 24-hours on January 29th-30th. Thieves escaped with 420 million yen (approximately 19 million yuan) and 51 million yen (roughly 2.29 million yuan), respectively. Just six hours following the robberies, Hong Kong authorities apprehended three suspects attempting to flee through the airport. Moreover, police arrested two cryptocurrency exchange employees in Tsim Sha Tsui—a 28-year-old local resident and a 29-year-old mainland Chinese national—who allegedly facilitated money laundering operations. Investigators believe the Japanese firm may have been transporting yen to Hong Kong for conversion into Hong Kong dollars, subsequently purchasing duty-free goods to exploit tax differentials between both cities. Therefore, analysts suspect this scheme could potentially link the two separate heists together.

PANews reported on February 1st that, according to Caixin.com, within less than 24 hours from January 29th to 30th, Tokyo, Japan, and Hong Kong, both known for their good public safety, experienced a series of robberies targeting large sums of Japanese yen in cash. The amounts stolen were 420 million yen (approximately 19 million yuan) and 51 million yen (approximately 2.29 million yuan) respectively. About six hours after the incidents, police arrested three suspects at Hong Kong International Airport who were attempting to leave the country on charges of robbery. They also arrested two employees (a 28-year-old local man and a 29-year-old mainland man) at a cryptocurrency exchange shop in Tsim Sha Tsui who assisted in handling the stolen money. Preliminary analysis suggests that the Japanese company involved may have been carrying yen to Hong Kong to exchange for Hong Kong dollars and then purchasing duty-free goods to profit from the tax differences between the two places; this route may be directly related to the cases.