Three Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Copper Cables; Suspects Are Believed to Be Part of a Vietnamese Metal Theft Ring

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 18, 2025

Three Vietnamese men, including a 25-year-old unemployed Yokohama resident, have been arrested on suspicion of crimes including theft of copper cables, the Metropolitan Police Department said Monday.

Since January, a group of Vietnamese nationals, including these three, are believed to have been involved in approximately 50 metal thefts in Tokyo and four prefectures including Saitama and Chiba.

The three men are suspected of breaking into a garbage disposal facility scheduled for demolition in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, from the night of May 21 to the predawn of May 22, and stealing 28 copper cables worth a total of ¥1.2 million at current market value, according to the police. One man remained silent, while the other two admitted to the charges. The arrest was made on Friday.

The authorities believe that the three men broke a window to enter the facility’s electrical room, then cut the cables installed under the floor with a tool and made off with them. The cables were then sold to a dealer in Yokohama.

As metal theft is rapidly increasing, the new law to prevent the selling of stolen metal was enacted on Friday, which requires dealers who purchase copper cables to verify the identity of sellers during transactions and prohibits the concealed carrying of tools such as cable cutters.