According to a report by Livedoor News on July 30th, Japanese police have cracked down on a large-scale fraud case involving heated tobacco products, leading to the arrest of six Chinese citizens.
The police have found that these suspects illegally obtained credit card information and used electronic payments to purchase about 500 heating tobacco products at a convenience store in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The total market value of these products is approximately 300,000 yen ($1,961.68). The confiscated products were later handed over to the crime syndicate's recycling personnel.
One of the suspects, Zhang Renlong (28 years old), is the main suspect among the six arrested suspects. According to police, Zhang Renlong is the collector of this batch of products. Approximately 62,000 heated tobacco products were found in a room in the building where his company is located. These products are believed to have been obtained through illegal means.
Furthermore, the credit card information used by these suspects all belong to Japanese citizens, involving approximately 160 people in total and estimated to have caused losses of up to 3 million Japanese yen (19,616 US dollars). The police also stated that these suspects met through social media and formed an organization called the "Anonymous Mobile Crime Group" (Tokuryu).
Zhang Renlong stated during the investigation, "I don't remember who, but I did receive tobacco from someone else." The police believe there are higher-level instigators involved and are conducting further investigations.
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