TOKYO (TR) – Since relaxed entry necessities had been put in place following the coronavirus pandemic, rich Chinese language toting procuring luggage are a typical website all through the capital and past.
However, cautions weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun (Sep. 12), thieves lurk amongst them.
On August 27, Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested two Chinese language ladies Yi Xiaofeng and Hu Huiling, each 37, who’re believed to be members of the worldwide Chinese language theft group often called “Pink Panda.”
A reporter masking the Tokyo police beat tells the magainze, “The pair is suspected of stealing six pearl pendants with a complete worth of roughly 1.86 million yen on the Worldwide Jewellery Tokyo present at Tokyo Huge Sight on January 17.”
Concentrating on retailers in Japan and Europe
The 2 suspects had been captured in safety digital camera footage, however the police had been unable to arrest them instantly.
“In spite of everything, the 2 entered the nation the day earlier than, and left the day after the theft, so their web keep was three days,” the identical reporter says. “Nevertheless, they entered the nation once more at 5 a.m. on August 27, which led to their arrest. It’s recognized that rings and necklaces value practically 10 million yen had been additionally stolen from that very same jewellery exhibition, and investigators imagine that [these thefts] had been additionally the work of those two.”
The Pink Panda gang, comprised of Chinese language nationals, consists of greater than 100 women and men from Hunan Province in China. It’s recognized for repeatedly focusing on retailers in Japan and Europe. Members of the group sometimes steal useful items of jewellery after distracting employees members.
An investigator explains, “What’s distinctive in regards to the Pink Panda gang is that they don’t goal particular person shops, however moderately occasions similar to jewellery exhibitions the place many shops are arrange. Their typical modus operandi is to go to in massive teams posing as prospects, faux to take a look at the merchandise, after which substitute them with pre-prepared counterfeits. They entered the nation simply earlier than the incident and left instantly after, so it was troublesome to apprehend them.”
“Safety in Japan is lax”
Different Pink Panda members have been confirmed to have stolen jewellery in Japan up to now.
In Might 2018, a dozen members attended a global jewellery exhibition in Kobe Metropolis. Hyogo Prefectural Police, having obtained data upfront, staked out the occasion and arrested two Chinese language ladies on the spot for stealing rings and necklaces. One in every of them was reported to have testified at trial that “safety in Japan is lax.”
“The 2 arrested this time got here to Japan the day earlier than the opening of one other worldwide jewellery exhibition on the identical Tokyo Huge Sight, as they did in January this 12 months,” the aforementioned investigator continues. “They most likely thought that that they had not been recognized as suspects and had been planning to commit one other crime. The Japanese police usually are not being taken significantly.”