Tokyo: Ex-video game world champ admits to 100 burglaries

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former video game world champion over a burglary in Nerima Ward earlier this year. During questioning, he admitted to dozens of other similar break-ins, reports TBS News (Apr. 1).

On an afternoon in February, Tomoyuki Inui, 33, of no known occupation, gained access to the residence of an 84-year-old woman by smashing a window. He then allegedly stole 2.6 million yen in cash that she kept in the living room.

“With my video game activities winding down, I turned to [burglaries] to cover living costs,” the suspect, a residence of Tachikawa City, was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations. He added that he carried out about 100 similar break-ins over the past three years.

In 2005, Inui represented Japan under the nickname Katsuninken at the World Cyber Games in Singapore. After winning the “Dead or Alive Ultimate” event, he received 15,000 U.S. dollars as prize money.