Vietnamese Technical Intern Trainee Arrested for Allegedly Breaking Into Vacant House in Tendo, Yamagata, and Stealing Rings
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Yamagata Prefectural Police announced by July 24, 2026 that they had arrested Nguyen Minh Hieu (23, transliteration), a Vietnamese technical intern trainee residing in Honcho, Tendo City, on suspicion of breaking and entering and theft. He is suspected of breaking into a vacant house in Tendo City in February of that year and stealing two rings worth a combined total of about 40,000 yen.
Current status: Police have not disclosed whether the suspect has admitted to or denied the allegations, citing concerns that doing so could hinder the investigation. This article will be updated, including on referral for prosecution or indictment, as further details become available.
While the amount stolen was small, the case illustrates how vacant houses in rural cities have become targets of break-in thefts by foreign nationals. Other reported cases targeting vacant homes include the arrest of two Chinese nationals in Kochi Prefecture (related coverage) and a trio of Thai nationals accused of committing 167 vacant-house burglaries across 11 prefectures (related coverage), suggesting that similar damage is spreading beyond urban areas into rural regions as well.