A police officer in Japan has been arrested for stealing 30 million yen (S$269,000) in cash from the apartment of a dead elderly man in Tokyo.
The suspect, 45-year-old Genki Kobayashi (name transliterated from Japanese), was a senior forensic officer at Kamata Police Station, reports Japanese news outlet NHK.
His crime was uncovered when he confessed to his superior, leading to his arrest on 1 March.
Source: Google Maps
The case began on 31 Jan when the body of an elderly man in his 80s was discovered by a neighbor, who alerted the police.
Kobayashi and his superior were dispatched to investigate. While at the scene, Kobayashi found a large sum of cash inside the apartment.
That same night, during his shift, Kobayashi returned alone, using a key that had been seized as evidence to enter the apartment, reports Yahoo! Japan.
According to Yahoo! Japan, he took 3 million yen (S$27,000) and a spare key before leaving.
Source: 薄荷清欢 on Flickr, for illustrative purposes only.
On 4 Feb, he used the stolen key to break in again—this time stealing the remaining 27.02 million yen (S$243,000).
For nearly a month, Kobayashi’s crime went undetected. However, on 23 Feb, he confessed to his superior about the theft.
Following an investigation, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested him on 1 March and has since recovered the full stolen amount.
Authorities have not disclosed his exact motives but have strongly condemned his actions.
“This is an absolutely unacceptable act for a police officer and is extremely regrettable,” the department said in a statement.
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Featured image adapted from 薄荷清欢 on Flickr, for illustrative purposes only, and Google Maps.