British Man of Liberian Origin Joe Kpoto Nabbed for Alleged ¥13 Million Heist in Fake Gold Scam

Tokyo police confirmed on Friday the arrest of a 40-year-old British Liberian man, Joe Kpoto, on suspicion of stealing ¥13 million (approximately $83,400) from a company executive in a fraudulent gold transaction. Kpoto, whose occupation and residence remain unverified, has denied the charges.

The suspect is accused of executing the scam on October 25, 2023, in a restaurant in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. During a meeting with a 62-year-old executive, Kpoto allegedly posed as a business consultant involved in the sale of about 1 kilogram of gold grains. The victim, having been contacted by a Japanese broker, was instructed to bring ¥13 million in cash to the meeting.

Once the cash was handed over, Kpoto reportedly swapped the real banknotes for notepads designed to mimic bundles of money. The bag was resealed with adhesive tape, preventing the victim from noticing the swap. The executive later discovered the so-called gold grains were, in fact, copper pieces coated in gold paint. Upon returning to the restaurant, Kpoto had already fled, leaving the victim with only notepads in the bag.

Police revealed that Kpoto left Japan the day after the incident but was arrested at Haneda Airport upon re-entering the country on Wednesday. Investigations have also uncovered a pattern of similar scams across Tokyo, with five other reported incidents between August 2023 and June 2024, amounting to total losses of around ¥146 million. Authorities are now looking into possible connections between these cases and the involvement of other suspects.

Source: The Japan Times

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