Vietnam coordinates with Japan to investigate suspected Vietnamese theft-ring leaders

"Vietnam's representative agencies in Japan are cooperating with local authorities to clarify information regarding legal violations by Vietnamese citizens in accordance with Vietnamese law and local regulations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang told VnExpress on Friday, referring to Japan's arrest warrants for two Vietnamese citizens alleged to have led a theft ring in Tokyo.

Hang emphasized that Vietnam is prepared to collaborate with other countries in combating crime, consistent with Vietnamese law and international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

Japanese news site NHK previously reported that on May 20, Japanese police issued arrest warrants for two Vietnamese nationals, a 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, who currently reside in Vietnam. The two suspects allegedly recruited members in Japan through social media, instructing them via messaging apps on what items to steal and where to consolidate the stolen goods for shipment back to Vietnam.

Japanese authorities are considering requesting Interpol to issue international wanted notices for the two suspected leaders.

In September 2024, members of the ring stole cosmetics and other goods from pharmacies in Nagano Prefecture. Investigators identified the organization and its leaders after examining the mobile phones of suspects arrested at that time. At least 12 group members have been arrested in Japan.

The group primarily targeted pharmacies across Japan, gathering large quantities of stolen items at various locations before shipping them to Hanoi, NHK reported.

In November 2024, Japanese police raided several of the group's warehouses in Tokyo and Osaka. On May 19, another facility in Chiba Prefecture was raided, resulting in two additional arrests.