Body Found in Chiba Pref. City Identified as Vietnamese National; Man Possibly Abducted by Several Men

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:13 JST, February 14, 2024

The body of a man that was discovered in a burned-out car in Otaki, Chiba Prefecture, has been identified as a Vietnamese national, Chiba prefectural police said Tuesday.

According to investigative sources, the man is believed to have been abducted from the city of Yachiyo in the same prefecture by several men. A video of what is thought to be the same man being beaten by a group of men has been found, and the police are investigating a possible connection.

The burned-out car was discovered on the side of a road in Otaki at around 9:10 a.m. on Feb. 7. According to the sources, the man’s body was found in the car. As the body had suffered serious burns, the cause of death could not be confirmed.

A person related to the man filed a missing persons report with the police in Yachiyo on Feb. 6, the day before the body was found. The man, who reportedly had financial trouble with the people who abducted him, may have been taken away from the city by car, according to the sources.