A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing manga volumes, including copies of the hit series Kingdom, and selling roughly 3,000 of them to secondhand buyback shops, police said.
Tomu Takeya is suspected of stealing 28 manga volumes worth about ¥23,000 from a bookstore in Musashino, western Tokyo, in April, according to reports.
The Metropolitan Police Department said Takeya took titles with high resale value, such as Kingdom and Space Brothers, and sold them at nearby shops.
Between January and October he brought about 3,000 volumes to buyback shops and made ¥1.37 million in profit, police believe.
Questioned by investigators, Takeya said he did not remember the details and would remain silent.
A ready market
The case points to how quickly stolen books can be converted into cash. Buyback shops that handle used manga pay out on the spot, and popular series hold their value.
Police suspect Takeya targeted volumes by their buyback price rather than by title alone. He is accused of carrying the books to shops close to where they were taken.