4 Vietnamese in Japan arrested for stealing UNIQLO goods, police say ringleader in Vietnam

The four Vietnamese defendants told police that they came to Japan to steal goods and sell them in Vietnam, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun .

According to police, a 38-year-old defendant and three others were arrested on suspicion of stealing 87 items worth 347,130 yen (over 57 million VND) from a UNIQLO store in Fukuoka on September 26, 2023. All four were later indicted on theft charges.

Police have confirmed a total of 66 similar thefts in the five years since December 2018 in eight prefectures and cities in Japan. A total of 5,237 items worth a total of 19.7 million yen (more than 3.2 billion VND) are believed to have been stolen. Of the 66 cases, police have referred three to prosecutors.

A UNIQLO store in Tokyo (Japan)

Asahi Shimbun screenshot

Fukuoka Prefectural Police believe the four were led by a woman in her 40s living in Vietnam, according to Asahi Shimbun , citing several sources. The woman posted detailed instructions on social media about the sizes and colors of the targeted clothes, and the group of four were brought to Japan and stole so much that they filled suitcases every day, according to Asahi Shimbun .

Fukuoka police have obtained an arrest warrant for the woman, Asahi Shimbun reported citing sources.

A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman living in Japan and working in a trade-related job told Asahi Shimbun : "There are many discussions online about how stealing in Japan is easier than in Vietnam."

She said she found the relaxed environment at UNIQLO stores in Japan strange, where some cash registers are unstaffed and customers can choose items that store staff cannot see.

According to UNIQLO's website and other information, the company has 22 stores in Vietnam after opening its first store in Ho Chi Minh City in 2019.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/4-nguoi-viet-o-nhat-bi-bat-vi-trom-hang-uniqlo-canh-sat-noi-ke-cam-dau-o-viet-nam-18524020720470016.htm