A man who ran off with a 46 million-yen (about US$290,000) Audemars Piguet watch from a store in Tokyo's Nakano Broadway has mailed it back, with a handwritten apology that included the words "I'm sorry." The watch reached the shop on the morning of November 1 in a cardboard box sent from Aichi Prefecture, SoraNews24 reported.
Staff who opened the box found a watch matching the model and serial number of the stolen one. It showed no noticeable damage from its time away.
The theft happened on the evening of October 29. The man asked a salesperson if he could try on a piece kept in a locked showcase, put it on, and ran out of the building with it still on his wrist.
Security cameras at several locations recorded him fleeing into the narrow streets around Nakano Broadway, the shopping center that has in recent years drawn a dense cluster of luxury watch stores selling new and used high-demand models. The thief was still at large as of the report.
Online reaction
Commenters online were not inclined to read the return as remorse. "Okay, so he got spooked and returned the watch. He still stole it," one wrote. Another said: "Returning it doesn't undo the crime. Turn yourself in."
- "Must have realized it was only a matter of time until they caught him."
- "It's like he thinks they'll just treat it as a prank since he returned the watch."
- "If you know you should return it, you should have known not to take it in the first place."
- "Thieves have totally marked Nakano Broadway."
- "If they're going to let people try on watches that are that expensive, they should make them do it in a locked room."
The return comes while the public is still angry about another brazen watch robbery at Nakano Broadway, and investigators are continuing to search for the thief.