In recent years, large-scale car theft incidents by Vietnamese crime groups have surged in Japan. In early October, five Vietnamese men were re-arrested for breaking into a used car dealership in Niigata and stealing cars and cash. Many involved in these crimes are former technical trainees from Vietnam, now illegal residents.
journalist Mine Toshiyuki, who specializes in immigrant issues, sheds light on these thefts. One dealership manager described the theft, revealing how the thieves stole keys from the office and drove cars away, but were ultimately amateurish, struggling with manual transmissions. Dashcam footage captured the thieves speaking in Vietnamese about selling stolen cars. The footage led investigators to an apartment in Gunma Prefecture, which has a high population of foreign residents.
The apartment, used as a hideout, housed only one Japanese tenant, with others from Cambodia, South East Asia, and Vietnam. A Cambodian resident described how many Cambodians buy cars from Vietnamese sellers without inspection or insurance.
This underground network reflects a hierarchy: Chinese criminals manage high-tech crimes and counterfeit items, Vietnamese groups handle theft, and Cambodians buy stolen goods. Despite Japan’s traditionally high safety standards, this case highlights the need for stricter security measures.
