The two suspects in the May 12 robbery of an exchange shop in Chatan Town may have used some of the stolen money at a base store, sources close to the investigation said on May 20. A U.S. Army serviceman and a U.S. civilian base worker have been detained by the U.S. military for the robbery in the town’s Chatan district, in which they brandished a knife and fled with about 6.9 million yen cash. The U.S. military police have already seized almost all of the stolen cash from the suspects’ homes and elsewhere. But they have been unable to locate a portion of the money. 

The Okinawa Prefectural Police have entrusted the search of the suspects’ homes to the U.S. military’s investigation agency. But not all of the stolen cash has been found. The police have asked the U.S. military’s investigation agency to look into the possibility that the suspects spent the money at base stores, etc. They have been accelerating the final investigation, including what became of the money, to prosecute the case.

The police asked the suspects to report to the police station on May 20 and continued voluntary questioning.