A man in uniform, a car full of cash, and a puff of smoke that fooled everyone.
In Tokyo, a young robber pulled up beside a bank car on something that made the workers trust him instantly. What was he riding?
A police motorcycle The motorcycle was a fake painted white, and the robber wore a police uniform to stop a car carrying bonuses for Toshiba factory workers.
After warning the bank workers there was a bomb, the fake cop crawled under their car. What was he secretly doing down there?
Lighting a flare When smoke and flames poured out, the workers ran for cover and he simply drove off with the cash.
Police checked millions of fingerprints on file against the ones from the crime scene. How many matched?
None It was the largest investigation in Japanese history, yet the dozens of clues left behind were everyday items scattered on purpose to confuse detectives.
Hoping someone would recognize the thief, police plastered something across the whole country. What was it?
Pictures of his face Hundreds of thousands of these composite pictures went up all over Japan, and the list of suspects grew past a hundred thousand names.
Today the thief could go on TV and confess to Japan's biggest heist without being punished. Why?
The time limit expired Seven years after the robbery, the deadline to charge anyone passed, and later even civil claims ended, so the case remains officially unsolved.
