Japan Sea TV Broadcasting Corporation reported on August 6. The police in Tottori Prefecture, Japan announced on August 6 that they have arrested three foreign men for allegedly using smartphones registered in someone else's name to purchase heated tobacco products at convenience stores in Tottori City. They are accused of fraud and violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act.
The three arrested men are: a 27-year-old Chinese national living in Osaka Prefecture who is unemployed, a 23-year-old Malaysian national living in an unknown location and unemployed, and a 25-year-old Taiwanese national living in Osaka Prefecture and unemployed.
According to the Tottori Prefectural Police, on March 8th of this year, a Malaysian man and a Taiwanese man used a smartphone with registered credit card information in someone else's name at three convenience stores in Tottori City to purchase over 170,000 yen worth of heated tobacco products. The two men also bought a large quantity of heated tobacco products at another convenience store, but the staff became suspicious and alerted the authorities, leading to the exposure of the incident.
A Chinese man is believed to be the mastermind, conspiring with two accomplices to convey information on purchasing shops and quantities through social media.
Two individuals were arrested on suspicion of unlawful entry into a convenience store on the same day, March 8th, as they had no valid reason to enter the premises. Subsequent investigations led to their arrest and prosecution for fraud and violating the Organized Crime Control Act.
According to speculation, these three individuals were driving around the convenience store and were found to have over 100 smartphones confiscated from their vehicle.
The two perpetrators did not know each other, and the police in Tottori Prefecture believe that this may have been orchestrated by an anonymous, mobile criminal group called Tokuriu, recruiting perpetrators through social media. The confessions of the three individuals involved have not yet been made public, as it could impede the investigation.
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