The hula hoop used in the theft [Saitama Prefectural Police]
The hula hoop used in the theft [Saitama Prefectural Police]

A man in Japan has been arrested for stealing cars by using a toy hula hoop to trick vehicles' locking systems into malfunctioning.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun and other outlets Thursday, Saitama Prefectural Police arrested an unemployed man, identified only as A, 28, on Wednesday on charges of auto theft.

A is accused of conspiring with another man, who has already been arrested, to steal two vehicles worth a combined 3.73 million yen ($24,300) from parking lots in Saitama City's Minuma-ku and the town of Ina, both in Saitama Prefecture. The thefts allegedly took place in February and March this year.

Investigators found that the pair used a so-called "relay attack" method. They amplified the radio signal emitted by a vehicle's smart key to trick the car into believing the key was nearby, then opened the door.

Police determined that the men used a hula hoop about 70 centimeters in diameter, wrapped with electrical cord, as an antenna to amplify the signal.

In July, police found the hula hoop believed to have been used by the men in a vehicle parked in Hasuda, Saitama Prefecture.

Saitama Prefectural Police believe the pair were also involved in dozens of other car thefts in Saitama, Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures since last October. They are investigating their possible involvement in additional cases.


bbo@heraldcorp.com