Vietnam group’s alleged Uniqlo crime spree highlights allure of Japan-made products

Japan police are seeking to arrest a Vietnam-based woman who allegedly masterminded a crime ring that stole US$132,500 worth of Uniqlo items in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Kansai

The incident has highlighted a trend of cross-border theft involving some members of Japan’s trainee visa programme, who send quality Japanese items back to Vietnam

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A Uniqlo store in Tokyo. Police arrested four Vietnamese nationals who arrived in Japan in September and were allegedly tasked with stealing from multiple Uniqlo outlets. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:38pm, 8 Feb 2024Updated: 7:37pm, 9 Feb 2024

Police in southern Japan have broken up a ring of Vietnamese thieves who took advantage of lax security at Uniqlo stores across the country, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a woman who allegedly masterminded the thefts.

The incident highlights a growing trend of cross-border theft, driven by the allure of high-quality Japanese products, raising questions about the government’s trainee visa programme as well as concerns about security protocols.

Police in Fukuoka prefecture arrested four Vietnamese nationals who arrived in Japan in September and were allegedly tasked with stealing from multiple Uniqlo outlets, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday. The suspects have not been named, but are in their 30s and 40s.

Pedestrians walk past a Uniqlo store in Tokyo. Police allege a Vietnamese group stole a range of items from the store with a total retail value of some US$132,500. Photo: AFP

Sources told the Asahi that the four did not know each other, but all were connected to a Vietnamese woman in her 40s who allegedly directed their operations from Vietnam, giving instructions on the size and colours they should steal. The four people reportedly owed money to the woman, who has also not been named in the media, although an arrest warrant has been passed on to Vietnamese authorities.

The sources added that the group had visited Japan numerous times since 2018 and stolen from clothing stores in Tokyo, Fukuoka and the Kansai region of central Japan on 66 occasions.

Police allege they stole 5,237 items, including much sought-after down jackets, with a total retail value of 19.7 million yen (US$132,500).

Even though Uniqlo now has stores in Vietnam, many people there believe there is still a big difference in the quality

A Vietnamese resident in Japan

Sources within the Vietnamese community in Japan said many of their compatriots who were in Japan on student or trainee visas made a little extra money on the side by buying products that were difficult to obtain in Vietnam and mailing them back home. That can cross the line into crime, however, when some realise just how much money can be made by sending stolen goods back to Vietnam.