Tokyo Hermes raiders grab bags worth $498,612

TOKYO - Thieves smashed their way into a designer goods shop in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district and made off with more than US$400,000 (S$498,612) worth of Hermes bags, Japanese police and reports said on Friday.

Three men broke through shutters at the store's entrance and grabbed three scarves and 21 of the upmarket bags, with the most expensive one worth 2.6 million yen (S$33,034), broadcaster NHK said.

The store, Atour Ginza, specialises in Hermes, media reports said, adding that the thieves used two get-away cars.

A police spokeswoman confirmed the raid, which she said happened before dawn.

Ginza is a hub for designer brands and upmarket department stores, attracting thousands of shoppers every day who are willing to lay out huge sums for top-of-the-range items.