Japanese man arrested in Indonesia over COVID relief fraud

Jun 09, 2022 | News On Japan

Jun 09, 2022 (devdiscourse.com) - Authorities on Indonesia's Sumatra island arrested a Japanese fugitive accused of helping steal USD 7.3 million intended for small businesses in Japan hurt by the coronavirus, police said on Wednesday.

Mitsuhiro Taniguchi, 47, was arrested late Tuesday at a house owned by a fish trader in Central Lampung district by immigration officers backed by local police, National Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo said.

“He told the house owner that he wants to invest in fisheries in the area,” Prasetyo said, adding that Taniguchi had stayed at the house for about two weeks before authorities located him.

Taniguchi was wanted by Japanese police for COVID-19 subsidy fraud and left Japan for Indonesia in October 2020, Prasetyo said.

Taniguchi and a group of acquaintances allegedly submitted about 1,700 false applications for COVID-19 relief funds.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department believes they received subsidies for more than 960 of those applications totalling an estimated 960 million yen (USD 7.3 million), Prasetyo said.

Taniguchi, who has been wanted by Japanese police since early May, has been handed over to the Directorate of Immigration's Supervision and Enforcement Division, he said.

The suspect, wearing a face mask, short pants and an immigration detainee's orange vest, was brought by police to a news conference Wednesday in the capital, Jakarta. He made no comment.

Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, an immigration official, said at the news conference that days before the arrest, Japanese Embassy officials informed his office that they had revoked Taniguchi's passport and that the suspect had last been seen in the Lampung area.

“His presence in Indonesia became illegal after the Japanese authorities revoked his passport,” Prasetyo said. ...continue reading

Source: ANNnewsCH

Powerful Typhoon No. 25 Heads Toward Kanto

Typhoon No. 25 is moving north over waters south of Japan as of 3 p.m. on September 20, and is expected to bring two peaks of heavy rain to the Kanto region, first late on September 20 around midnight and again from the evening into the night of September 21 as the storm makes its closest approach.

Typhoon Threatens Widespread Travel Chaos Across Kanto

Large and powerful Typhoon No. 25 is expected to make its closest approach to the Kanto region from the afternoon through the night of September 21, with flight cancellations already confirmed, planned train suspensions announced across Chiba Prefecture and possible expressway closures extending across the Tokyo metropolitan region.

Drone Hits Nagoya City Hall During Asian Games Light-Up

A drone filming the illuminated Nagoya City Hall headquarters crashed into a building across the road shortly before 9 p.m. on September 17, with police investigating whether the flight may have violated Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act.

Mount Tokachi Volcano Continues to Emit Smoke

Volcanic smoke continues to rise from Mount Tokachi (Tokachidake), an active volcano in Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, one week after its eruption alert level was raised to Level 3, restricting entry to the mountain and prompting a series of cancellations at nearby hot spring inns just before the peak autumn foliage season.

Starbucks Considers Selling Majority Stake in Japan Business

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Emperor and Empress Visit Ghibli Park

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture on September 20, touring exhibits that recreate famous scenes from Studio Ghibli films and posing for a photograph with the character No-Face.

Four Teens Rearrested Over Fatal Assault on 17-Year-Old

Police in Kanagawa Prefecture have rearrested four teenagers on suspicion of murdering a 17-year-old high school student who died after being assaulted in Sagamihara in August.

Why Kansai People Go to Drinking Parties

Drinking parties remain a lively part of social life in Kansai even as younger generations increasingly turn away from alcohol and izakaya bankruptcies rise at a record pace, with customers describing the gatherings less as occasions to drink heavily and more as opportunities to maintain friendships, meet new people and build connections across generations.

'Tokuryu' Criminal Gangs Target Elderly Victims with Refrigerator Trick

Anonymous and fluid criminal groups known in Japan as "tokuryu" are adopting increasingly elaborate tactics, including a scheme in which elderly victims are persuaded to hide cash inside refrigerators before thieves enter their homes, as authorities struggle to combat networks whose members often have no direct contact with one another.

Scam Base Targeting Japanese Run From Lavish Bangkok Mansion

A luxury mansion in Bangkok described as resembling a palace was being used as a base for a specialized fraud operation targeting Japanese people, with Thai authorities detaining 14 people, including four Japanese men.

Copper Thieves Target Remote Nagano Shrine

Copper roofing has been stripped from Shinano-no-miya Shrine in Oshika Village, Nagano Prefecture, leaving the wooden structure exposed in the latest of a series of similar thefts reported at shrines across the prefecture.

Influencer Yamatorino Arrested Over Cocaine Possession

A popular Tokyo nightclub hostess and influencer known as Yamatorino, who says she generated more than 200 million yen in sales during a single month, has been arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine with her boyfriend at their home in Roppongi.

Tear Gas Prank Leaves 24 Students Injured

A second-year high school student was arrested at the scene after allegedly releasing tear gas spray inside a classroom at Osaka University of Commerce Sakai High School on September 16, leaving 24 students complaining of coughing, throat pain and other symptoms.

< 2 3 4 5 >