Vietnamese Men Arrested for Stealing Over 100 Kg of Rice, Likely to Resell It

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:22 JST, September 19, 2025

Three Vietnamese nationals were arrested Friday on suspicion of stealing over 100 kilograms of brand-name rice and other items from two supermarkets in Gunma Prefecture, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The police also suspect that the three men visited around 60 supermarkets in five prefectures — Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Chiba and Saitama — between April and May and sold rice stolen from these stores to third parties.

According to the MPD, the three are accused of stealing 19 bags of rice — totaling 105 kilograms — and other items such as drinking water and gas cartridges from two supermarkets in Maebashi and Isesaki in the prefecture on May 12. The rice stolen was brand-name rice such as Koshihikari, Akitakomachi and Yumepirika.

The three had been arrested in May on suspicion of overstaying their visa, and analysis of their mobile phones revealed that they had visited the supermarkets. Security camera footage showed them taking items out of the store without going through the cash register.