Chinese Man Arrested on Suspicion of Renting Out 2,400 SIM Cards without Checking IDs; Police Investigating SIM Card Use

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Saitama prefectural police department

A Chinese national was arrested on suspicion of renting out SIM cards for mobile phones without checking the identity of the renters, police said.

The Saitama prefectural police are investigating the case, with the possibility that the SIM cards may have been used in crimes.

The Chinese man, 35, residing in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, is effectively the owner of a telecommunication company that rents out SIM cards, according to the police.

He is suspected of renting out a total of 2,400 SIM cards on three occasions between June and July last year without verifying the identity of renters with a driver’s license or other ID cards, as required by law. He has admitted to the charges.