Interest
Man Accused of Swapping Gundam Model Kit Box Covers in Akihabara Shop
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
With a model for nearly every mobile suit featured in the franchise at different build levels, there's a Gundam plastic model or gunpla for almost everyone. However, some stores that carry gunpla models do not seal the boxes, making it possible for buyers to swap box covers and illicitly buy a model at a lower price point. And that very thing allegedly happened on August 11 at the Hobbyland Akihabara store.
![hobbyland_akihabara](/thumbnails/max600x600/cms/interest.3/214360/hobbyland_akihabara.jpg)
The issue was brought to light in X (formerly Twitter) posts by Hobbyland Akihabara on August 13. In the first of five posts, the store stated customers were no longer allowed to open gunpla boxes to check the contents. Instead, customers would have to ask staff at the register.
HOBBYLAND 秋葉原
— HOBBYLAND秋葉原 (@Hobbyland_akiba) August 13, 2024
購入前の箱開けを禁止させていただきます
確認はレジにて店員と行って下さい
HGCEフォースインパルス、HGUCガンダムの中身がすり替えられている事件が発覚しました
お客様方には申し訳ありませんが、ご理解お願いします#HOBBYLAND#秋葉原#模型屋#ガンプラ#BANDAI#プラモデル pic.twitter.com/Gce8i4MXQ3
HOBBYLAND Akihabara
Please do not open the box before purchase. Please check with the cashier.
An incident has been discovered in which the contents of HGCE Force Impulse and HGUC Gundam have been swapped. We apologize to our customers and ask for your understanding.
Hobbyland Akihabara made this decision when it discovered a male patron had allegedly swapped box covers between gunpla models to purposefully reduce the price on the model he wanted to purchase. In a subsequent post by the store, they revealed the patron had swapped the box covers between a High Grade (HG) Cosmic Era (CE) Force Impulse Gundam and Gundam Aerial, between an Entry Grade (EG) Nu Gundam and a HG Universal Century (UC) RX-78 Gundam, between the HGCE Force Impulse Gundam and the EG Nu Gundam, and between HGUC RX-78 Gundam and the Gundam Aerial.
HOBBYLAND 秋葉原
— HOBBYLAND秋葉原 (@Hobbyland_akiba) August 13, 2024
分かり易く書きますと、
エアリアル(インパルス)…11日犯人購入
EGν(RX-78)…12日外国のお客様が購入
インパルス(EGν)…12日購入のお客様が13日来店
RX-78(エアリアル)…事件後、在庫確認時に発見
となります
エアリアル(インパルス)購入前に複数すり替えられたようです
HOBBYLAND Akihabara
To make it easier to understand,
Aerial (Impulse)… Purchased by the culprit on the 11
EGν(RX-78)… A foreign customer purchased it on the 12th.
Impulse (EGν)… A customer who purchased it on the 12 came to the store on the 13.
RX-78 (Aerial)… Discovered during inventory check after the incident
The Aerial (Impulse) was swapped multiple times before it was purchased.
Hobbyland Akihabara in an X/Twitter post gave the alleged culprit until 8:00 p.m. on August 13 to reach out to the store. If they did not, the store would report the crime to the police. Hobbyland Akihabara even posted a follow-up post 40 minutes before the time limit and noted the store had his information due to the payment being made with the electronic payment service Paypay.
HOBBYLAND 秋葉原
— HOBBYLAND秋葉原 (@Hobbyland_akiba) August 13, 2024
この事件現在の状況
店員の特別的な臭覚(犯罪に対応する)と監視カメラの補助で
犯人はほぼ特定しました🧒🫵
防犯意識が薄い店だと思われるかもですが、実はフルHD防犯カメラ4機も設置してます。
顔の写りはバッチリです👌
本日20時までに連絡がなければ、被害届出します。 https://t.co/PIXrMjqu6l
HOBBYLAND Akihabara
The current status of this incident.
With the help of store staff's special sense of smell (to deal with crime) and surveillance cameras, The culprit has roughly been identified🧒🫵
You might think that our store's security is lax, but we have four full HD security cameras installed.
The face is captured perfectly👌
If I don't hear from you by 8:00 p.m. today, we will file a criminal report.
今後の人生に関わる事なので
— HOBBYLAND秋葉原 (@Hobbyland_akiba) August 13, 2024
これは最後のチャンス
20時までにあと40分ちょっと
連絡してください!!
お会計の時はpaypayだったので、
逃げれないです🤦🏻♂️
お願い🙏 https://t.co/6AloSGZ7M9
Because this is something that will affect your future.
This is your last chance
Just 40 minutes left until 8:00 p.m.
Please contact us!!
You paid using PayPay, so you can't escape🤦🏻♂️
Please🙏
Unfortunately, the culprit did not reach out to Hobbyland Akihabara by the 8:00 p.m. deadline. However, according to a report by the Fuji News Network (FNN) on August 14, the man appeared at the store while the news agency was interviewing Hobbyland Akihabara's manager. FNN posted a section of the ordeal to their YouTube channel.
During the encounter it was revealed the culprit had not only built the gunpla, but subsequently threw it out due to guilt. When pressed why he committed fraud by Hobbyland Akihabara's manager, the man said he had given into temptation. The interaction reportedly went on for an hour, after which the manager said he would still be filing a criminal report to the police.
Sources: Hobbyland Akihabara's X/Twitter account (link 2, link 3, link 4, link 5) via Esuteru, Fuji New Network, Fuji News Network's YouTube channel