Police confiscated 1,000 female character figures from suspect's home

Police in Inashiki, Ibaraki arrested a 39-year-old male suspect on Thursday under suspicion of modifying and selling Love Live! character figures without permission. The man is a resident of Yachiyo, Chiba and self-described as a member of the sales industry. The suspect reportedly admitted to the charges and said the figure sales helped cover living expenses.

The man allegedly took the head from a Love Live! Nico Yazawa figure, attached it to a Girls und Panzer Darjeeling figure, and sold the modified figure without permission on an auction website around September 6. The figure reportedly sold for about 3,000 yen (about US$27).

According to police, the Ibaraki prefectural police discovered the figure through a "cyber patrol" in the fall. Authorities then uncovered the suspect through their investigations. Police confiscated about 1,000 female character figures from the man's home and are investigating for the possibility of additional crimes. Police discovered suspicious deposits into the man's bank account totaling 8.5 million yen (about US$77,000) from November 2016 to October 2018. According to authorities, the man sold figures for prices ranging from 1,000 yen (about US$9) to 15,000 yen (about US$137) each.

Sources: The Sankei Shimbun, The Mainichi Shimbun (安味伸一) via Otakomu