Is British ex-pat feared dead in Tokyo actually alive? Businessman ‘took £40,000 from his company and left the country’



Garin Dart, 41, vanished in May leaving his pregnant wife and child

Friends feared successful businessman had been kidnapped or killed

But police revealed he withdrew money from his company and left Japan

He had lived in the country for 10 years after moving from Britain



Missing: Friends feared the worst when Garin Dart vanished without a trace from Tokyo in May but police now say he has left the country after taking £40,000 from his company

A British businessman who disappeared suddenly from Tokyo two months ago had taken £40,000 of his company's money and left the country, it was reported today.



Friends and colleagues feared popular Garin Dart, 41, had been killed or kidnapped by Japanese gangsters when he vanished on May 22, leaving his pregnant wife Yukako, 38, and their child.



But police in Tokyo have confirmed they have stopped looking for the CEO after discovering he had withdrawn the money from his company Bluesilver, an events management company for foreign businesses and expats, and left Japan for an unknown destination.

Superintendent Hiroshi Kozono, of Tokyo Metropolitan Police, told The Times: 'We are not actively moving [on this case]. There is a possibility of embezzlement.'

As well as his business, Mr Dart was co-founder of Foreign Volunteers Japan, a network he set up in the wake of the 2011 tsunami.

Friends had told the newspaper Mr Dart was tired and working very hard, but that he seemed perfectly normally on the day of his disappearance.

In an article on the Foreign Volunteers Japan website, colleagues said he sent text messages at around 1pm about an upcoming meeting at the Tokyo Hilton Hotel.



After that there was no communication by him with friends or family in Japan or in the UK. Police confirmed he had not been arrested or hospitalised and reports said his bank account and credit cards had not been touched.

Mr Dart's assistant Ayako Kawauchi, who was the last person to see him, said that on the day he went missing colleagues thought he may have fallen asleep somewhere, as he seemed tired.



Bruno Dammizio, Mr Dart's Canadian business partner, said: 'He has literally vanished into thin air. There has been no trace of him in any shape or form. No communication with friends or family.'

But police confirmed prior to his disappearance he had withdrawn £39,500 from the Bluesilver account, of which some was deposited into his personal account. The rest he took in cash.

Ms Kawauchi told police that she usually handled banking and it was unusual for Mr Dart to have made the transaction.

Police are not investigating any criminal complaint against him.



It was suggested that Mr Dart's family were informed about what happened weeks ago. After he went missing, his family reportedly asked friends not to hand out flyers or posters appealing for information.

His mother Finella Dean, 64, flew to Tokyo after her son went missing but did not meet with police.



A spokesman for Bluesilver said: 'The fact he was carrying a large amount of money is compatible with the event business. Some vendors prefer cash.'

Disappearance: Mr Dart last made contact with colleagues at 1pm on May 22 when he sent texts about an upcoming meeting at the Tokyo Hilton Hotel (pictured)

Mr Dart had moved to Japan from Britain in 2003 where he set up his business, which had been growing more and more successful.



Today, friends of Mr Dart expressed their shock at the latest twist in his disappearance on a Facebook group which had appealed for information about his disappearance.



Some suggested the relatively small amount of money he took may mean there was a serious reason he had to leave.

Branden Brazil wrote: 'We have yet to get the full story. I have no idea what his motivation for running off is. Certainly, the amount of money he allegedly took, is hardly enough to support a long term jetsetter's life in Rio. I imagine that he had very serious reasons to leave, and at this time, those reasons are mere speculation.'

While Corrie MacDonald said: 'None of us really know what has happened and what has driven him to do any of this - we are all still speculating - but a lot of us know Garin well enough to realise he is a great guy, good friend and that he was a loving & very proud family man and yes if this is what he has done then its not a good thing to do BUT he must have had extremely good reasons to and will have had no other choice and wherever he is he is definitely not sunning it up on a beach. Lets all just hope that he will come back to us safe & sound.'

