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3 Arrested for Bilking 86 Million Yen in Digimon Stickers

Himalaya Tokyo's Digimon Savers Mushi-Pan with seven stickers

Police in Japan arrested three men on Wednesday and accused them of swindling about 86 million yen (about US$930,000) from All Nippon Airways Trading (ANA Trading) over fake orders for 5.6 million Digimon character stickers. The suspects are two former ANA Trading employees — 35-year-old Ryūshi Taniya and 37-year-old Tadashi Amano — and Kazunori Tsuda, the 45-year-old former president of the confectionary maker Himalaya Tokyo.

According to the police investigation, Taniya allegedly put in fake orders for about 5.6 million Digimon stickers in September of 2006. The stickers were intended as bonus prizes in pastry bread packages that Himalaya Tokyo sold. The police are accusing the three of bilking about 86 million yen for those fake sticker orders.

The police are investigating the possibility that the three suspects used the same methods for other fake orders for a total of over 300 million yen (US$3.2 million). An internal investigation at ANA Trading uncovered the alleged bilking, and the company fired Taniya in April of 2007.

ANA Trading is the supplier and operator of airport stores run by the Japanese airliner ANA. Ironically, ANA's best-known anime tie-in is not with Digimon, but the "Pokémon Jet" planes decorated with Pokémon characters.

Sources: Mainichi Shimbun, MBS, Asahi Shimbun
Image from Zuilang