Ex-Bank Worker Jailed 9 Years in Tokyo for Stealing 2.6M in Gold!

Reported by David Joshua | Sele Media Africa

A Tokyo court has sentenced a former employee of one of Japan’s top banks to nine years in prison for stealing gold bars and cash worth approximately 2.6 million. The judge described her actions as “heinous”and a severe breach of public trust.

Case Details:

• The unnamed woman worked in the vault section of the bank and used her access to steal multiple gold bars and large amounts of cash over time.
• The thefts reportedly occurred between 2020 and 2023, with the stolen items smuggled out in small quantities to avoid detection.
• She was arrested earlier this year after an internal audit flagged inconsistencies in vault records.

Court’s Verdict:

• The Tokyo District Court said the crimes showed a deliberate pattern of abuse of access and authority.
• In addition to the prison term, she was ordered to forfeit assets traced to the stolen funds.
• The judge stated:
  “This was a systematic and selfish crime, exploiting institutional trust for personal gain.”

Broader Impact:

• The bank has since tightened its internal security and auditing processes.
• Japanese financial institutions are under increasing scrutiny for insider threats and employee vetting.

Citations:

1. The Japan Times: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/06/japan/crime-legal/mufg-deposit-box-theft-ruling/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
2. Nippon: www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2025100600605/ex-mufg-bank-worker-gets-9-yrs-for-safe-deposit-box-thefts.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
3. The Japan Times: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/19/japan/crime-legal/mufg-bank-theft-hearing/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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