Two Vietnamese Men Arrested Over Vacant-Home Burglaries; Aichi Police Suspect Damage Across Eight Prefectures
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.
Aichi Prefectural Police announced by August 14, 2026 that it had arrested and referred to prosecutors two Vietnamese nationals, Vu Quang Tien, 25, and Nguyen Quang Tuyen, 36, on suspicion of trespassing and theft. According to a Chunichi Shimbun Web report, the two are accused of breaking into vacant homes in Ichinomiya City and elsewhere in the prefecture and stealing valuables.
Police believe a Vietnamese group that includes the two suspects repeatedly carried out similar vacant-home burglaries across eight prefectures, primarily in the Chubu and Kansai regions. In connection with the case, a total of ten group members have reportedly also been apprehended on suspicion of violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, including unlawful overstay.
Current status: The full size of the group, the total damage amount, and whether the case will be referred for prosecution remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Similar vacant-home burglaries involving Vietnamese nationals were reported around the same time, including a case using the "yaki-yaburi" fire-breaking method in Tokyo and Saitama (related coverage) and a case in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture (related coverage).
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.