logo
Aichi police arrest Nagoya teen for involvement in Myanmar fraud ring

Aichi police arrest Nagoya teen for involvement in Myanmar fraud ring

Japan Times24-05-2025
Japanese police have arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly making scam calls as a member of a Myanmar-based fraud ring, sources said Saturday.
According to the Aichi prefectural police, the suspect is a high school student in the prefectural capital of Nagoya who returned to Japan after being taken into custody by Thai authorities.
After the teenager did not respond to voluntary police questioning scheduled for Monday and his whereabouts became unknown, the Aichi police tracked him down and found him Friday in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo. They launched a compulsory investigation due to concerns that he might flee.
The boy allegedly conspired with suspects Shoki Ishikawa, 32, and Tomonari Yachi, 22, on Jan. 14 to defraud a man from Mie Prefecture who was on a business trip to the U.S. state of Oregon.
The three suspects are believed to have fraudulently obtained ¥9.9 million from the victim by by pretending to be from the Aichi police. They called the man and and said that his bank account was being used for crime and urged him to transfer the money.
According to the police, the teenager entered Myanmar via Thailand after he was recruited in early December 2024 by a man on Telegram who said he could introduce the teen to a job that could help him develop programming skills.
He made scam calls with about eight other Japanese individuals including Ishikawa, under instructions given by an Asian member. He returned to Japan after being placed under custody in mid-February.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vietnamese man arrested in connection with Japanese-language exam cheating
Vietnamese man arrested in connection with Japanese-language exam cheating

NHK

time19-06-2025

  • NHK

Vietnamese man arrested in connection with Japanese-language exam cheating

Japanese police have arrested a Vietnamese man in connection with alleged cheating on a Japanese proficiency exam required for applications for residency status. Police say the 25-year-old suspect is a company employee who lives in Tokyo. The man allegedly arranged for a proxy test-taker to sit for the exam in Osaka City last December in place of a Vietnamese applicant. The test assesses Japanese-language proficiency. It is required for foreigners who apply for residency status to work as nursing caregivers. The applicant and the substitute, who are Vietnamese women, have been arrested, indicted and given suspended sentences. The police say the suspect solicited the proxy test-taker via social media and received a portion of the financial compensation paid. The police have not disclosed whether the suspect has admitted to the allegations. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare gives the proficiency exam for caregivers. Following the cheating case, the ministry strengthened identity verification from February by requiring that test-takers have photos of their faces taken at venues and by other means. Ministry officials say they will further step up efforts to prevent fraud at testing venues.

4 Japanese pro baseball players accused of using online casinos
4 Japanese pro baseball players accused of using online casinos

NHK

time19-06-2025

  • NHK

4 Japanese pro baseball players accused of using online casinos

Japanese police have referred four players and an official of the Saitama Seibu Lions pro baseball team to prosecutors for alleged online gambling, which is illegal in Japan. The players are Tonosaki Shuta, Tsuge Sena, Kodama Ryosuke and Hasegawa Shinya. Investigative sources say they are accused of accessing online casino websites using their smartphones and other devices and placing bets. The probe was launched by the Saitama prefectural police after it was contacted by the baseball club. The five were questioned on a voluntary basis. The Seibu Lions has issued a statement, offering an apology and expressing regret that the club failed to ensure its players understood that online gambling is illegal. The club said the five deeply regret they used casino websites out of curiosity and agreed to pay a penalty imposed by the club.

Police interpreters in Japan to be allowed to help by phone in interrogations
Police interpreters in Japan to be allowed to help by phone in interrogations

NHK

time05-06-2025

  • NHK

Police interpreters in Japan to be allowed to help by phone in interrogations

Japanese police are set to allow interpreters to help interview foreign suspects by phone as crimes involving foreign nationals are on the rise across the country. Currently, about 4,200 police officers and staff who speak foreign languages and around 9,600 interpreters in the private sector take part in interrogations in person and sign confession statements. But police are facing the need to swiftly respond to an emergency and to secure interpreters specialized in minor languages. The National Police Agency has amended its criminal investigation rules, enabling interpreters living in remote areas to provide their services remotely. In principle, they are required to interpret in person if they can. But if they cannot, those living in distant areas can go to a nearby police station and provide interpretations over the telephone to those in an interrogation room at another police station. The new rules are set to go into effect on July 1. The National Police Agency says foreign visitors committed 21,794 criminal offenses last year. A total of 12,170 were suspected of involvement. The figures were significantly lower than the peaks in the past, but they have been on the rise in recent years.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store