A former employee of MUFG Bank has been arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from customers' safe deposit boxes in Tokyo. Yukari Imamura, aged 46, is accused of taking approximately 20 kg of gold bars, valued at around JPY260mn (about $1.6mn), from the bank’s Nerima branch in September 2024. Imamura, who was responsible for managing safe deposit boxes at various branches, reportedly used a spare key stored at the Nerima branch to access the boxes. The stolen gold was sold to pawn shops and other buyers, with the proceeds subsequently used for investments, according to police sources, as reported by Kyodo News.

The theft only came to light on October 31 2024, when a customer made an inquiry about missing assets. After an internal investigation, MUFG Bank confirmed that Imamura had been pilfering assets for over four years, with an estimated total value of more than JPY1bn, affecting around 60 customers. Imamura was terminated from her position on November 14, and criminal charges were filed against her the following month.

The scale of the theft has raised serious concerns about the security of assets held in safe deposit boxes, particularly within major financial institutions. The case highlights potential vulnerabilities in the management of these boxes and has prompted calls for increased safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

MUFG Bank has pledged to tighten internal controls and conduct thorough checks to ensure the security of customers' assets. As the investigation continues, more details are expected to emerge about the extent of Imamura's actions and how she managed to exploit the system undetected for so long.

This incident is now being seen in Japan as a stark reminder of the risks involved in managing high-value assets, even within established and trusted financial institutions.