Tokyo police have announced the arrest of five people in the past month, including Leo Sugiyama, son of Takeshi Sugiyama, former CEO of Mitsubishi Electric, on charges of a brutal crime involving cryptocurrencies.
According to Japanese media, the case allegedly took place in 2018, when Sugiyama and his friends locked a gym owner in a house for more than 20 days until the victim transferred his cryptocurrencies to them.
Due to his father’s influence, Sugiyama also worked at a subsidiary of Mitsubishi, particularly in the sale of refrigeration equipment.
The son of the former Mitsubishi CEO is accused of stealing BRL 3.9 million worth of cryptocurrencies in a brutal crime
Knowing that the owner of a gym in the Japanese city of Osaka had a large amount of cryptocurrencies, the son of the former Mitsubishi Electric CEO allegedly conspired to commit a crime against him.
According to the Japanese portal Bunshun, Leo Sugiyama and seven other individuals allegedly held the victim in a private prison until she handed over her cryptocurrencies to them. The amount would exceed 100 million yen, or R$3.9 million, in direct conversion.
“In June last year, Sugiyama learned that the owner of a gym in Osaka had a large amount of cryptocurrencies and was plotting a crime.”
“They were locked up in boarding houses in Shiga and Kyoto, where they were bound with duct tape, punched several times on the head, and threatened to kill their families if they ran away or lied to them.”points to a source from the Bunshun newspaper. “They asked for the password. They stole cryptocurrencies worth more than 100 million yen.”
In the end, the victim would have been able to flee the scene by asking for help from a passing person.
Besides the brutality of the case, another point that attracts attention is the name of the father of the main defendant. After all, Takeshi Sugiyama was CEO of Mitsubishi Electric and had a great reputation in his field.
Personal crimes involving cryptocurrencies are worrying investors
In another case reported by live coins in the past week, an entrepreneur stole R$20 million in a face-to-face hack. Although he was not physically assaulted, the victim was concerned about his safety, even considering the possibility of purchasing kidnapping insurance.
As cryptocurrency thefts are already migrating from the virtual to the real world, investors should therefore take minimal protective measures to maintain their physical and financial integrity, such as avoiding talking about amounts invested.
Finally, the Japanese media did not disclose the expected punishment for the crime committed by Sugiyama.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
