A Japanese man stole a watch for $300,000 but then repented and returned it in the mail

On October 29, in the Tokyo shopping complex Nakano Broadway, known for its boutiques of collectible accessories, a 30-year-old man asked the seller to give him a model of the Swiss brand Audemars Piguet worth 46 million yen (about $ 300 thousand).

Wearing a watch and assessing his appearance in the mirror, the visitor simply turned around and left the store without paying for the purchase. The staff did not immediately come to their senses, but soon reported to the police about the daring theft.

However, the development of events was unexpected. On November 1, a package arrived at the store. Inside, neatly wrapped in a handkerchief and stacked in a cardboard box, lay those very watches intact. They were accompanied by a handwritten apology note. The sender used a delivery service in the city of Nagoya, giving a fictitious name and address to cover his tracks.

Despite the voluntary return, police investigated and detained the suspect outside his home in Nagoya on November 11, before being taken for questioning in Tokyo. During the conversation, the man admitted the fact of theft, but stated that he did not plan to keep an expensive thing for himself forever. “I just liked the way they looked on my arm,” he explained. Later, he said, conscience woke up and he decided to return the accessory to the rightful owner.

Law enforcement officers note an important nuance: although the remorse and return of the abducted can be a mitigating circumstance in sentencing, they do not annul the fact of the crime committed. The man still faces criminal liability for theft, writes RG.