74-year-old 'ninja' burglar caught in Osaka after evading police for decade

Police in Japan have caught a 74-year-old “ninja” burglar who jumped over fences and broke into shops and homes while clothed in black from head to toe, effectively avoiding all security cameras. Proud of his nimble body, he claimed, “I was confident I would never be caught.”

True enough, it took almost a decade and a careless mistake by the robber for Osaka police to finally put Mitsuaki Tanigawa behind bars. The unemployed robber, nicknamed the “Heisei Ninja”, had been active from March 2009 to July 2017. Throughout this period, he allegedly broke into as many as 250 properties in East Osaka, and stole cash and vouchers that amounted to around 30 million yen (about S$360,000).

According to Osaka prefectural police, this “ninja” would search for an empty house as a base and prepare a black outfit for disguise before committing his crimes. From the base, he would take routes not covered by security cameras, such as on fences and paths along rice fields. When escaping, Tanigawa would also make sure not to leave any trace. The stealthy thief appeared almost nowhere except in cameras near the crime scenes, which misled some investigators to suspect the residents nearby.

Usually the elusive cat burglar would wear a neck warmer or the like to cover his face. But in May this year, he made the mistake of removing it in an area under camera surveillance. As a result, police were able to identify the suspect.

It seems like the man made a pretty good living from his crimes, considering how he netted about S$45,000 a year, tax-free and on top of the pension he would receive, not to mention the short “working hours”. But such “work-life balance” comes at a risk and Tanigawa would most likely spend the rest of his life in jail. Perhaps his next ninja stunt will be a prison break?