Three Vietnamese Nationals Re-Arrested Over Theft of 6,700 Meters of Copper Cable From Toyota City Solar Plant
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By July 2, 2026, Aichi Prefectural Police had re-arrested three Vietnamese men who described themselves as construction workers and lived in Nishio City, on suspicion of theft, for allegedly stealing 6,700 meters of copper cable — worth an estimated 14.34 million yen — from a solar power plant in Toyota City. The theft is believed to have occurred between around February 2 and 13, 2026.
According to investigators, similar thefts of electrical wire and cable occurred repeatedly in the surrounding area, raising the possibility that metal theft targeting solar power facilities was being carried out in an organized manner. Current status: The case is at the re-arrest stage, and whether prosecutors will file charges had not been determined as of this writing.
Theft of copper wire and cable from solar power facilities, targeting metal resources that are easy to sell, has become increasingly common nationwide in recent years and tends to involve high-value losses. The damage in this case is said to amount to roughly 14.34 million yen, and given the frequency of similar thefts in the surrounding area, organized scouting and execution may have been involved.
Among metal- and materials-related theft cases involving Vietnamese nationals, there has also been reporting on the theft of agricultural spraying equipment across Tochigi, Gunma, and Saitama prefectures (related coverage), which is worth examining alongside this case as an illustration of the activities of wide-ranging, organized theft groups.