A former deputy manager of the Hana Credit Union’s Yokohama branch has been arrested on suspicion of stealing cash from safe deposit boxes. The total damages are believed to exceed 1 billion yen.
Lee Seung-hyun (49), a former deputy manager of the “Hana Credit Union Yokohama Branch” and a North Korean National, is suspected of stealing approximately 619 million yen in cash that customers had stored in the branch’s safe deposit boxes between September 2021 and March 2023.
According to the police, Lee allegedly made unauthorized duplicate keys for the safe deposit boxes and took cash more than 100 times. Surveillance footage from the branch captured him entering the safe deposit area outside business hours and on holidays.
During questioning, Lee admitted to the charges and reportedly stated that he “used the money for gambling.”
The police believe that Lee had been using the same method to steal cash since he was assigned to the Yokohama branch in 2016, with the total amount stolen exceeding 1 billion yen. Investigations are ongoing.
