CHIBA -- Two men and an underage boy have been arrested for allegedly attempting to break into a residence in the Chiba Prefecture city of Funabashi, the prefectural police's third investigation division announced on Nov. 26.

Police are investigating it as a case related to illegal "dark gigs" and are looking for potential connections to crimes including a string of robberies in the greater Tokyo area.

Shotaro Sakaida, 32, a part-time worker living in the Kanagawa Prefecture city of Kawasaki, an 18-year-old unemployed man from the capital's Adachi Ward, and a 17-year-old company employee from Yokohama's Minami Ward were arrested. The former two were previously arrested on charges of robbery resulting in injury by the Metropolitan Police Department over a separate incident that occurred in Tokyo's Nerima Ward in late September.

The suspects are specifically accused of attempting to break into the home of a man in his 70s at around 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 24 by smashing a glass window. The three reportedly fled the scene after the elderly resident noticed the sound of glass breaking and asked out loud, "What are you doing?"

According to the prefectural police, the three have admitted to the allegations, telling police they wanted money. Through applying for "dark part-time jobs" and other means, the suspects were connected with an individual who gave them instructions via the highly secure messaging app Signal. It is believed that they purchased a hammer and duct tape at a nearby commercial facility beforehand.

Sakaida reportedly told police, "Initially, I was told (by the person giving instructions) that I would be transporting goods. But just before the incident, I was told to break into a house, tie up the resident and steal money."

The juvenile said that the unemployed man arrested along with him was an acquaintance and that the man suggested he take on the dark gig, and reportedly explained, "I was told (from the person giving instructions) it was a job to steal from a house where people had absconded with money they had obtained through fraud. Just before the incident, I was told that if people were there, I should take a clean swing at their heads and bind their hands and feet with duct tape."

(Japanese original by Honami Hayashi, Chiba Bureau)