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Tag Archives: money

Over 90 Percent of Money Recovered Returned To Owners

August 23rd, 2011

In our previous blog posts, we have talked about the conditions and status of Japan recovering thousands of safes. Now there is an accurate estimate of what was recovered and the status of the safes. An estimated total of 5,700 safes were recovered and brought to the police in Iwate, Miyagi. This was a much more accurate number than what we discussed a few months ago. Between the months of March 11 and July 10, the safes contained a total of more than 2.37 billion yen, according to the National Police Agency.

The NPA also announced that from the total amount of money that was recovered, about 96 percent or 2.27 billion yen was returned to its owners. That is an astonishing number considering the amount of safes that were recovered. Most of the safes belonged to households and companies that were found by police in the three prefectures while searching for missing people. They also found and recovered safes while clearing up debris and the aftermath of the disaster.

In the three different prefectures, 2,420 safes were found in Miyagi, 2,370 in Iwate and 910 in Fukushima. Most safes were found near the coast when the country was hit by the March 11 tsunami. The police station in Iwate recovered 900 safes and the Ofunato Police Station recovered 840.

In Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture a safe that was recovered and contained the most money found, about 99 million yen, was then returned to the company that owned it. “Many of the safes seem to have belonged to fishermen and fisheries companies, who prefer cash transactions,” a senior police official said.

Considering the amount of safes that were recovered during the time, the three prefectures quickly ran out of space including garages and meeting rooms. Then by the end of March, the NPA decided it was time to open the safes in order to find the owners more quickly and efficiently. They found that many of the safes contained bankbooks, valuable stock certificates and real estate documents that effectively helped identify the owners of each safe. Other safes contained even valuable metals and gold bars.

Other than the safes, an estimated total of 1.3 billion yen was found from purses and bags with credit cards and other items that helped the police identify the owners. A senior official from the NPA estimated that more than 90 percent of recovered cash would be returned to its owners.

“There must be some safes that were stolen after the quake. But the fact that a hefty 2.3 billion yen in cash has been returned to its owners shows the high level of ethical awareness in the Japanese people,” Ryuji Ito, a professor at Yokohama City University, said. According to the Lost Property Law, ownership of an item will be given to the person who found it if the original owner does not claim the item within three months of it being reported found.

It’s been almost 2-3 months since we’ve heard any news regarding the recovering of safes in Japan. It’s amazing that over 90% of the recovered safes were returned to its rightful owners. It definitely shows the amount of integrity, honesty and ethical awareness that the Japanese people have for their community. In such a devastating disaster, there’s just no room for any other types of disasters to happen. In America, when disasters occur, sometimes criminal activity rises that often consists of looting. It’s humbling to know that a country such as Japan can come together to make sure everyone is back on his or her feet.

 

Source: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110816005138.htm

Heavy Duty Safe Uses Tear Gas As Last Attempt To Deter Thieves

July 5th, 2011

In Irwin, Pennsylvania a church was burglarized after a group of thieves raided and broke into the church building. In the church building contained a safe where they cracked open the safe and stole thousands of dollars. The police were notified, but the crime scene also suddenly turned into a HAZMAT incident.

Reports were made from Channel 4 Action News with reporter Jennifer Miele. She reported that more than $7,000 was stolen from the Immaculate Conception Church’s administration building. The police investigated the crime scene and reported to Miele that the thieves entered through a basement door then took the elevator up to the main business office. The main business office contained the safe then they also brought it back down to the basement through the elevator.

The police also reported that the thieves knocked over a refrigerator during their theft so that they could get to the safe. When investigating the crime scene, they first believed that the fridge leaking Freon that smelled like a burning chemical caused the chemical leak. They called in a HAZMAT team to handle the situation as they figured it was a dangerous chemical. However, it wasn’t the fridge after all.

The smell was actually tear gas, which is a part of a last minute trap from the older safe. If the safe was forced open, then the safe released tear gas for a last counter attack against theft. “After doing some research on this particular safe, these safes were equipped with a fail-safe,” Police Chief Joe Pocsatko said. “If someone breached them, tear gas would be released.”

Miele had also reported that investigators found water bottles scattered around the opened safe, which they believe the thieves used to rinse their eyes and throats after becoming exposed to the tear gas. “If it hit their skin, it probably burned them,” Pocsatko said. “I was in there myself – eyes started burning. We couldn’t go back in until the fire department ventilated the building.”

Investigators believe that as many as three or four people were involved because the safe was large, heavy and extremely heavy-duty. The police have yet to find the suspects.

This is a particularly unique incident since the safe that was broken into also had a last minute “booby” trap. Unfortunately, the suspects were still able to walk out with thousands of dollars. The main thing is that no one was hurt during the crime scene and that the safe was capable of using its tear gas mechanism. We hope that the church can recollect it itself and hope they get their money back. As for the suspects, we’ll hope that they get caught and learned their lesson for the next time they decide to open up a safe.

 

Source:  http://www.wtae.com/r/28408038/detail.html

 

Memorial Weekend Burglary in Fulton County, Georgia

June 3rd, 2011

This past Monday was Memorial Day, which means many people and their families went on vacation for the 3-day weekend.  When people are on vacation that means your home or business is more vulnerable to burglary and theft.  Much was the case when a Fulton County North Service Center was burglarized during the Memorial Day Weekend.

The Sandy Springs Police Department is now investigating the burglary and Lt. Steve Rose announced on May 31st, that there was $53,000 in cash and checks that was stolen from a few locked boxes and safes.  The suspects broke into and cracked open these boxes and safes to steal the money.  According to the report, the suspects made their way from the outside loading dock.  The burglars then broke into the doors, which led to the office and then the doors that contained the safes and locked boxes.  The security cameras also appeared to be turned off by the suspects.

We hope that your Memorial Day Weekend was nothing like this incident. We hope that you had an exciting, fun and relaxing weekend. Here on our blog, we always discuss burglaries and thefts that occur around the world, but it’s our duty to remind everyone to always protect yourself and your families.  We can’t describe how important and imperative to inform everyone about safety concerns and the different types of burglaries that happen around the country.

Remember burglaries and theft can happen anywhere at anytime.  Now that summer is almost here, many people will be going on vacation.  We want people to know that protecting your homes and vehicles is critical during this point in time.  We recommend that you invest in some type of security to protect your valuables.  On our website, we have a ton of different security safes for your to choose from.  From our very affordable and low priced hotel and depository safes to our high-end, top of the line high security fire safes.  No matter which one you choose to go with, you will have a better peace of mind that your valuables are protected and safe against theft and burglaries.

With many students graduating from high school and going on to attend college, we have the perfect gift and recommendation.  Our hotel safes are one of our best sellers for universities, hospitals and homeowners.  It’s the most convenient type of safe for the average user especially for college students. For those college students planning on living in the dorms, it’s ideal to have something to protect your valuables.  Our hotel safes are the perfect solution because they can store laptops, documents, jewelry, music devices, media, books and other expensive college items that are stolen on a frequent basis. We know that college tuition and textbooks are already expensive to begin with, so having your other valuables stolen can become an even greater hassle.  Don’t deal with any more hassles and start securing your valuables.

Source: http://sandysprings.patch.com/articles/fulton-tag-office-on-roswell-road-burglarized

New MFL2014E-OLK Depository Safe from MESA Now Available on Security Base!

May 31st, 2011

Security Base is proud to announce a brand new product from MESA Safe. We are excited to introduce you to one of MESA’s newest additions, the MFL2014E-OLK. The new depository safe is very similar to the MFL2714-ILK except the new depository safe features an exterior locker rather than an interior locker with an all-black rugged finish. The MFL2014E-OLK delivers the same dimensions and storage space as the MFL2714-ILK, but provides users the convenience of gaining access to an outer locker without having to access the locker from inside the safe. The exterior locker is specifically designed to give users quick access to valuables such as documents, jewelry, records, collectibles and more. It also features a key lock for added security.

The new safe still delivers the same frontloading mailbox style deposit door for quick deposits. The safe also has the same security features protecting against robbery, as well as internal theft. The anti-fish baffle prevents theft through the deposit door and includes an electronic keypad lock for maximum security. The depository safe is perfect for any cash-handling businesses including restaurants, retail stores, banks, shops and more. The MFL2014E-OLK weighs in at 100 pounds that has four anchor holes to secure it firmly onto the floor or wall. The all-steel construction of the depository safe gives it strength and durability to last a lifetime.

As one of the top manufacturers in the safe industry, MESA Safe is always developing and improving their security safes. The new depository safe is a prime example of how MESA Safe listens to their customers and takes initiative to give the customers what they want. MESA Safe has been a leader in the safe industry since 1981. They have made it their mission to make depository safes easily accessible and affordable. MESA Safe has continued to do so, as well as providing a full line of  other all-steel constructed safe products.

Check out the new depository safe in our online store.  Remember, we also have a variety of other security products in stock.  In addition to our new depository safe, we are also giving away a FREE Eva-Dry Dehumidifier (Model E333) if you purchase any type of MESA Gun Safes. That includes an all-shelf setup, all constitution safes and MBF series. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-616-0213 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (pacific time).

Police Arrest Man Who Stole $25,000 In Cash From Home Safes

April 18th, 2011

Police caught a man who was residing in a home where he stole cash from the homeowner’s safes.  That suspect was 40-year-old Fernando Zuniga who was charged with stealing roughly between $25,000 to $30,000 in cash.  According to East Cocalico Township police, Zuniga has been living at the home since July where the money was kept in two locked safes, and the safe keys were also left in the home.

Then on January 11th, the homeowner discovered that $25,000 was stolen from the home safes and even an additional $1,000 stolen from a desk drawer. According to police interviews, Zuniga was unemployed and had been gambling frequently at the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, Delaware Park Racetrack and Casino.  He had told the police that he accumulated about $15,000 in slot machine and table games.  On the other hand, further investigation shows that he spent almost $2,000 every day and his winnings never reached over $383 every gambling session and only had three winning days.

The records that were obtained by the police has shown that Zuniga visited the Hollywood Casino about 21 times between the months of August and December.  During that time, he totaled about $7,496 in losses, the police said. They also added that Zuniga did use the money not only for gambling purposes, but also to buy a television, furniture and appliances. Zuniga is now convicted with a theft charge before District Judge, Nancy Hamill, and was sent to Lancaster County Prison under a $30,000 bail.

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