# Criminal investigations in Otaru and Japan

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-investigations-in-otaru-and-japan
> Updated: 2026-11-01T13:54:02.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

In October 2026, police in Otaru, Hokkaido, arrested 49-year-old Masumi Ishiba on suspicion of theft. She allegedly used her deceased brother’s cash card to withdraw 200,000 yen. Authorities are investigating whether the theft is linked to the circumstances of her brother’s death, as his body was discovered in a storage shed on October 7.

By late October and early November, investigations expanded to include a former employee of the resale store Otakaraya, Kazuya Taira. Taira was arrested for the alleged embezzlement of 300,000 yen from a branch in Gunma Prefecture. Following his arrest, police began investigating his potential involvement in a robbery at a different Otakaraya branch in Saitama Prefecture, after discovering tools and stolen cash at his residence.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-01: Police arrest three men for pharmacy wholesaler robbery in Saitama

Three men in their 20s were arrested for allegedly robbing a pharmaceutical wholesaler in Saitama using knives, reportedly after being recruited through illicit “dark part-time job” schemes.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/police-investigate-former-employee-in-connection-to-robbery-and-embezzlement

### 2026-10-12: Otaru police arrest woman for theft following brother's death

A woman in her 40s was arrested in Japan for allegedly stealing 200,000 yen from her brother's account after his body was found in a storage shed in Otaru.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/otaru-police-arrest-woman-for-theft-following-brothers-death

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Cite as: Criminal investigations in Otaru and Japan. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-investigations-in-otaru-and-japan