Vietnamese woman with Japanese husband arrested on suspicion of smuggling 45 tons of Vietnamese rice into Japan
A Vietnamese woman and her Japanese husband have been arrested in Osaka, Japan, for allegedly smuggling 45 tons of rice from Vietnam.
According to Japan’s The Asahi Shimbun, the scheme reportedly aimed to bypass customs inspections and sell the rice as a high-priced domestic variety.
Couple allegedly concealed rice for smuggling into Japan
The suspects, 36-year-old Tran Thi Thu Huyen and her 47-year-old husband Tomoyuki Takeshige, were taken into custody on Monday (6 Oct), following investigations by Osaka prefectural police and customs authorities.
Source: The Mainichi
Investigators allege the couple conspired to load the rice into shipping containers between mid- and late June.
They reportedly falsely declared the containers as mung beans to avoid tariffs applied to Vietnamese rice, which was 341 yen (S$2.91) per kilogram.
Source: The Mainichi
In contrast, mung beans are tarrif-free in Japan.
2,272 boxes of undeclared rice found by officials
On 25 June, customs officials discovered 2,272 boxes of undeclared rice hidden behind boxes of mung beans.
The rice, believed to be a Japonica variety, had been imported without the necessary inspection certificates, reports NHK World Japan.
Source: Asahi Shimbun
The company that imported the rice, Frechi LLC, was known to import and sell fruits and vegetables in Higashi-Osaka and was run by Huyen.
Meanwhile, her husband was involved in selling Vietnamese food products.
Police noted that shipments had been falsely declared as mung beans more than 20 times earlier this year.
Suspected of seeking profit from high prices of rice in Japan
Authorities suspect the couple sought to profit from rising domestic rice prices in Japan, which had surged from 2,000 yen (S$17) in early 2024 to around 4,000 yen (S$33) per 5kg by Sept 2024.
The alleged scheme would have allowed them to sell cheaper Vietnamese rice at higher prices.
Police have not disclosed whether the couple had confessed to the allegations. Investigators are still gathering evidence and examining records related to the shipments.
If convicted, the suspects could face charges under Japan’s Customs Law and Plant Protection Law.
Authorities have emphasised that smuggling such large quantities of rice is taken seriously due to public health and economic concerns.
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Featured image adapted from The Asahi Shimbun.
