Chinese Couple Arrested for 10th Time Over Fraud Involving Fake Garage Kits Sold to Recyclers Nationwide
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
Miyagi Prefectural Police announced by August 2026 that it had arrested Wang Guozhong, 33, a company executive, and Chen Yajing, 29, a company employee, both Chinese nationals of no fixed address, on suspicion of fraud. According to reports by KHB Higashi Nippon Broadcasting and other outlets, the pair are accused of selling counterfeit finished-model figures, known as garage kits, depicting characters from popular anime such as "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Mobile Suit Gundam," to recycling businesses while falsely representing them as genuine.
Since October 2021, the two are believed to have repeated the same scheme nationwide, selling approximately 4,500 counterfeit garage kits and defrauding businesses of a total of roughly 150 million yen. The current arrest concerns allegations that between February and August 2022 they sold counterfeit items to multiple businesses, defrauding them of approximately 1.22 million yen; this marks the 10th arrest of the pair. Police are continuing to investigate additional offenses.
Current status: Whether the case will be referred for prosecution, and a detailed breakdown of the previous nine arrests, remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.