The 3M Yen Affair: An Unsolved Heist

On December 10, 1968, in Tokyo, Japan, four Kokobunji branch employees of the Ni-hon Shintaku Ginko bank transported 3-million yen (roughly $818 in 1968 money and $10 million today) in the trunk of the company car.

The money, safely tucked into metal boxes, contained end-of-the-year bonuses for employees at a Toshiba-owned factory. Two hundred meters outside the Toshiba factory, a motorcycle police officer stopped the car and told them that an explosion had occurred at the bank manager's house and that their vehicle too had to be fitted with an explosive device(Andrews, 2018; Ryall, 2018).

The officer ordered the car's occupants to get out, that the car was about to explode. He explained that the bank manager's home had been damaged by an explosive device earlier that morning. The officer then shimmied under the car, which immediately began to smoke and produce flames (Andrews, 2018; Ryall, 2018). "It's dynamite. It's going to blow!" screamed the officer (AFP, 2012).

The employees fearing for their lives ran for cover, at which time the officer climbed behind the wheel and drove off with the car and its boot full of loot.

The employees believed the officer was an actual officer and that the car was about to blow up because the bank manager had been receiving threatening letters (Ryall, 2018). Yet, they were too panicked to wonder why the officer was alone.