Former MUFG Bank Deputy Manager Arrested for Stealing Customers' Valuables

On January 14, Yukari Imamura, a 46-year-old former deputy branch manager at MUFG Bank Ltd. in Tokyo, was taken into custody by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on charges of stealing money and valuables from customers' safety deposit boxes. Imamura confessed to the theft, stating, "It is correct that I committed theft," as investigators revealed that the total amount stolen is estimated at nearly 2 billion yen (approximately $12.7 million).

The police reported that Imamura utilized both a master key and a spare key to unlawfully access the safety deposit boxes belonging to two male clients at the bank's Nerima branch in late September of the previous year. It is alleged that she took around 20 kilograms of gold bars valued at about 260 million yen, which were later pawned at various shops in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, yielding approximately 170 million yen. This theft was uncovered in late October when a customer detected the missing items.

Following the incident's revelation, MUFG Bank terminated Imamura’s employment as a disciplinary measure for the thefts that occurred at both the Nerima and Tamagawa branches, where she had been employed since April 2020. The case escalated to a criminal matter after the bank reported her actions to the police in late December.

As deputy branch manager, Imamura was responsible for managing customers’ safety deposit boxes and had displayed a good reputation at her workplace. However, investigators uncovered that she struggled with personal financial troubles, particularly due to losses related to foreign exchange trading and horse racing betting. Her significant debts led her to file for bankruptcy rehabilitation in 2013, although she concealed her financial difficulties from her employer, knowing that bank employees are prohibited from engaging in FX trading.

The police suspect that Imamura's thefts began around 2020, coinciding with her appointment in charge of safety deposit boxes. Additionally, it was reported that she lost roughly 1 billion yen through FX trading alone and had incurred substantial debt from consumer finance loans. The bank indicated that approximately 60 customers were affected by her actions, resulting in damages exceeding 1 billion yen in market value.