How a fentanyl ring slipped into a community of overseas Chinese
Nikkei staff writers
A Chinese group suspected of smuggling the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the U.S. has set up a base in Japan. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is after an individual thought to be the leader.
This issue, which is fueling U.S.-China tensions and rattling countries around the world, is not a faraway problem.
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The Mainichi
15 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Social inequality in China may be behind English test proxy cases in Japan
TOKYO -- A slew of suspected cheating cases have been uncovered in the Test of English for International Communication, known commonly as TOEIC, held in Japan. A Chinese student has been arrested over his alleged involvement, and is suspected to have acted as part of an exam cheating ring. A closer look into these cases reveals circumstances unique to China. "We have a perfect test proxy group." This is one of the ad copies on Chinese-language websites promising high TOEIC scores by hiring proxy test-takers. Some claim they will refund the fees if the scores are not met as promised. Detailed information, including prices and process, is not available on the website. A potential customer must scan a 2D code to access a messaging app, exchange messages individually with a representative, and then proceed to make a formal request. There were also ads for similar cheating tactics for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). About $8,000 to hire proxy test-taker; training session offered In June, one Chinese woman in her 20s accessed one of the similar sites out of curiosity and exchanged messages with their representative through the Chinese messaging app WeChat. The representative presented two methods and pricing for taking the TOEIC: "Test proxy costs 59,000 yuan (about $8,200) and the earphone method is 29,000 yuan ($4,000)." Proxy refers to someone impersonating the client taking the test, while the earphone method involves the client going to the test site themselves, wearing a device in their ear, and receiving answers via audio from another person solving the test questions elsewhere at the site. Because this method requires the client to physically attend the exam site, it is considered burdensome and risky, and the representative told her that there was a preliminary "training session." In both cases, exam venues were located in Japan. Clients are instructed to pay half of the service fee upfront and the remainder after the results are released. The Chinese woman said she exchanged dozens of messages with the representative, but ultimately stopped communicating due to the fraudulent nature of the method. Coordinated operation involving Chinese nationals? The cheating techniques the woman was introduced to resemble those uncovered in a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigation into proxy test-taking and cheating schemes allegedly involving Chinese nationals. In May, the MPD arrested Wang Likun, a 27-year-old graduate student at Kyoto University, on the spot for suspected unlawful entry into a TOEIC testing venue in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, using someone else's ID. The MPD had been investigating after receiving reports by the TOEIC operator in May that they "found a test-taker muttering in Chinese during the exam." When Wang was apprehended, he was carrying a student ID under the name of another Chinese student, bearing a photo of his own face. Authorities also seized "smart glasses" equipped with a camera and communication functions, as well as a small microphone attached to a face mask. Multiple cheating scheme businesses suspected At the Itabashi Ward test venue, approximately 40 test-takers had registered with the same address as Wang. It is believed, by doing this, they sought to be assigned the same venue as him. Based on these circumstances, the MPD suspects the involvement of organized cheating service providers. Investigators believe Wang not only acted as a test proxy under the instruction of a Chinese agent but also was planning to use audio to relay answers to other Chinese test-takers at the venue. On June 7, after Wang's arrest, the MPD voluntarily questioned 10 Chinese nationals suspected of attempting to cheat during another TOEIC session held in Tokyo. Sources close to the investigation said there are multiple exam fraud businesses in China, and the fees paid by clients can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yen (hundreds to thousands of dollars), depending on the provider. They may be exploiting Japan's lax countermeasures One reason for the surge in exam fraud by Chinese nationals in Japan may be the comparatively lax anticheating measures at Japanese test venues. A 26-year-old Yokohama woman, originally from southern China, says the country imposes strict cheating countermeasures. "In China, metal detectors are used to inspect belongings before entering the room for high school entrance exams or mid-terms and finals. If you have a cellphone, it will be confiscated," she explained. One investigative source said, "They think cheating is easy in Japan and they won't get caught. We're being completely underestimated." Social inequality in China Some observers believe that the trend is also connected to the fact that there are Chinese individuals aiming to study or work in Japan due to unique social circumstances in China. A 32-year-old woman from a farming village in western China, who now lives in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward and runs her own business, said, "If I had been born in Beijing or Shanghai, I probably would have just worked in China." According to Tomoko Ako, professor of modern Chinese studies at the University of Tokyo, China has a family registration system designed to limit migration into cities, which distinguishes between urban and rural residents. Rural residents face discrimination in employment and other areas, while those who live in urban areas where universities are concentrated tend to have advantages in education and job opportunities. Additionally, in China, there are "privileged classes" such as the so-called "Second-Generation Reds," descendants of high-ranking officials who contributed to the Communist revolution. These elites often use money or connections to gain competitive advantages. In contrast, Japan is said to have less pronounced inequality based on birthplace or social class compared to China. Achieving high scores on tests such as TOEIC can expand one's options for school or employment. These circumstances might encourage some Chinese individuals to move to Japan, where they can better leverage their abilities. Ako added, "Among the privileged class, there may be people who engage in illegal behavior in Japan with the same mindset they had in China. For others, the inherent unfairness of China's system might make them feel that rather than engaging in fair competition, it's better to pay money to exploit loopholes -- leading some to turn to cheating."
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
High-Tech Cheating Services Rampant Among Chinese Students in Japan; Competition Intensifying for High TOEIC Scores
Businesses offering services to cheat during exams using electronic devices are rampant among Chinese students in Japan, according to Metropolitan Police Department sources. About 70 people believed to be Chinese nationals were found to have applied using the same address in Tokyo at a TOEIC English proficiency exam held earlier this month. Some of the test-takers said that they planned to receive the answers through earphones. These providers that offer paid services appear to be prevalent among Chinese students who seek postgraduate admission or employment in Japan. On June 7 at a TOEIC test venue in Tokyo's Nerima Ward, police investigators spoke to test-takers at a registration desk based on a list of suspicious students. The police had obtained information that testing fraud would likely occur at the venue. According to the sources, about 70 people registered for the test that day using the same address of a Tokyo building. A senior police official said they believe that a cheating service provider had instructed the students to do so to gather them at the same venue. Exam venues are usually assigned to examinees based on their residence and preferences. The MPD questioned 10 Chinese nationals who arrived at the venue. Some admitted to attempting to cheat. One said, 'I was given earphones by the agency and instructed on how to cheat,' while another said, 'I needed high scores to enter graduate school.' Proxy test-taker In May, the MPD arrested Kyoto University graduate student Wang Likun on suspicion of unlawful entry into a TOEIC exam venue with the intent to take an exam as a proxy. Wang, 27, was quoted as saying, 'I was searching for a job and got a message in Chinese reading, 'You'll be paid for taking the exam.'' Wang is suspected of having acted as a messenger to relay answers. He was found to have smuggled a small microphone inside his mask, worn smart glasses and carried three smartphones. Wang, who studies artificial intelligence at the university, scored 945 out of 990 on an exam he took under a pseudonym in March, according to the police. In May, the Institute for International Business Communication, which administers TOEIC exams, reported to the MPD that Chinese test-takers were receiving unusually high scores, and some test-takers were murmuring in Chinese during exams. According to the MPD, which conducted an interview on June 7, a test-taker said: 'I found a service provider on social media and paid ¥50,000 to help me cheat on the exam. But then it contacted me saying, 'Since the person who was supposed to provide answers disappeared, we will refund you the full amount.' So, I had no choice but to come here to take the test on my own.' The test-taker is believed to have asked Wang, and another one said they asked a different agency, according to the police. Seeking study in Japan 'We have a specialist group of proxy test-takers who score over 900 in the TOEIC.' Such a catchphrase is seen in Chinese social media space, and similar messages are posted by agencies that are paid to help with cheating in Japan. Some posts even claim, 'No studying required for high scores.' So why do Chinese students need high TOEIC scores? Tokyo Metropolitan University Prof. Shuichiro Hoshi, who served as a visiting professor at a Chinese university until three years ago, said China's economic slowdown has deteriorated its domestic job market, prompting more young Chinese to seek study in Japan or employment at Japanese companies. High TOEIC scores are advantageous for employment, and some graduate schools exempt those who score high from taking entrance English tests, which likely contributes to widespread cheating. In response to the situation, the TOEIC operator revised its procedures by requesting test-takers to submit identification if their address and other details seemed off. It also checks their eyewear functions and if their phones are switched off. 'Competition among the Chinese coming to Japan is intensifying every year,' said a Chinese woman in her 20s who studies at a Japanese language school in Tokyo. 'It's not surprising that some people turn to [illegal] agencies for help.' Abuse of electronics Misuse of electronic devices in exams continues unabated. In 2022, students leaked questions on the National Center for University Entrance Examinations and Hitotsubashi University exam using smartphones and small cameras. In the 2024 Waseda University entrance exam, questions were photographed using smart glasses and sent to an outside party via smartphones. 'China has taken strict countermeasures since over a decade ago using radio jamming and such at exam venues,' said IT journalist Yo Mikami, who is familiar with cheating problems. 'Abuse of AI will come in the future. Japan will need to update its measures to keep in line with technological advancements.'
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Tokyo police pull out the stops to win trust of foreign residents
An officer from the International Crime Division explains Japan's traffic rules to a Croatian woman, far right, at the Thai Festival Tokyo held in the capital's Shibuya Ward on May 10. (Shun Yoshimura) Police in Tokyo are waging a charm offensive to stop foreign nationals falling victim to elaborate fraud scams as well as steer them on some of the dos and don'ts of living in Japan. Specifically, the Metropolitan Police Department realizes that many foreign nationals are not fluent in the language and often flummoxed by cultural and legal norms that are so different from what they are used to back home. And there is seemingly no end to non-Japanese residents caught up in crimes and traffic accidents. That is why the MPD has been making a determined effort to help foreign nationals live with less stress and encouraging them not to be fearful about contacting the police. During a national holiday in mid-May, officers from the International Crime Division (ICD) went with interpreters to talk to foreigners attending the Thai Festival Tokyo held at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya Ward. 'Do you have any difficulties living in Japan?' an officer asked. 'Stay alert, because fraud cases involving individuals claiming to be Chinese police officers are increasing.' The officers distributed fliers in Thai, Nepali, English and other languages to raise awareness on key points of living in Japan, such as: strengthened penalties for riding bicycles while drunk; methods employed by criminal groups to recruit workers for illegal part-time jobs; and the fact that compensation is routinely paid to victims of criminal offenses. The ICD has made a point in recent years to help foreign residents stay out of trouble. For example, it works with communities with a sizeable foreign presence to organize soccer games to raise awareness of the way things are done in Japan. The ICD also opened an exclusive Facebook page to explain traffic rules. FALLING PREY TO CRIME Numerous cases have emerged of foreign residents falling victim to crime or unwittingly becoming members of criminal groups after applying for shady part-time jobs. In March, a Chinese national in his 30s was swindled out of roughly 5 million yen ($34,700) in a new ruse. He received a phone call and was told in Chinese that his bank account had been used for money laundering and that he should consult the police. He contacted a man who claimed to be a Chinese police officer in the western Tokyo city of Fuchu and wired the funds in his account as directed to a designated account as so-called settlement money. The man who apparently posed as a police officer was later arrested on suspicion of fraud. He was also Chinese. The incident came hard on the heels of a similar scam. In January, he received a phone call from an individual who claimed to be a member of Chinese police. Speaking in Chinese, the caller demanded that he do as he was told. He apparently contacted the 'victim,' instructed him to wire the money, had him write a pledge of confidentiality and received a reward from the mastermind. An MPD officer told visitors at the festival venue there is no way to make easy money and that trading bank accounts and reselling mobile phones are criminal offenses. A student in her 20s who lives in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward arrived in Japan from Thailand in April. She didn't know that the emergency number is 110 in Japan until she listened to explanations from the police. Because she has difficulty understanding Japanese, she expressed her appreciation for the flier and explanations from the police in her native language. Toshiyuki Hashimoto, a university staff member from Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, also received Thai, Korean and Chinese versions of the flier. He intends to distribute them to foreign students at his university. 'I never find such informative materials in multiple languages,' Hashimoto, 37, said. 'I plan to use them to help the foreign students in their daily lives.' An ICD representative said: 'We want to build a society where everyone can live comfortably, regardless of their nationality. We want to make them feel that Japanese police are approachable and can be trusted.'
