Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested two Chinese men on Thursday (March 19) for allegedly stealing passengers’ wallets on a train in Japan. The authorities suspect that the two men specifically came to Japan to commit theft.
According to a report by Fuji Television citing the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, the two arrested Chinese suspects are 57-year-old Tao Wensheng (phonetically) and 43-year-old Ji Haijun (phonetically).
The incident occurred around 8:05 a.m. on Thursday on a Yamanote Line train operated by East Japan Railway Company traveling between Shibuya Station and Ebisu Station. The two men conspired to steal a wallet from a 56-year-old female passenger’s backpack. The wallet contained 4,500 Japanese yen (approximately $28.5) in cash and credit cards.
The police stated that Tao covered the victim’s backpack with a reusable bag to disguise his hand movements while attempting to steal the wallet, while Ji stood by as a lookout. However, their criminal activities were noticed by patrolling officers on the train and they were immediately arrested.
During the investigation, the police found that the two suspects had been frequently getting on and off trains between various stations in Tokyo about an hour before the theft, indicating premeditation in selecting their target. Both men denied the allegations after being arrested.
The authorities revealed that the two suspects had entered Japan from Narita Airport the day before the incident, on Wednesday (March 18). Due to the short interval between their entry into the country and the crime, the police highly suspect that their purpose in coming to Japan was specifically to engage in theft, rather than for ordinary travel.
According to reports from TV Asahi and Fuji News Network, there have been several recent incidents of Chinese individuals committing theft on trains in Tokyo. On February 26, a 58-year-old Chinese man was arrested for theft by the Japanese police.
The man, named Long Yongjun (phonetically), was accused of stealing 100,000 Japanese yen (approximately $633) in cash and four credit cards from a 40-year-old Chinese tourist’s backpack on a JR Narita Express train connecting Narita Airport with downtown Tokyo in January. Long subsequently used the stolen credit cards to make purchases, totaling 2.2 million Japanese yen (about $14,000). Despite being traced through fingerprints on store receipts, Long denied the accusations.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police stated that since 2025, there have been several instances of luggage theft involving foreign tourists on the Narita Express, and they are currently investigating whether Long is connected to these cases.
A former police officer who investigated theft cases told the media that the journey from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station on the Narita Express takes a minimum of 53 minutes, during which passengers often let their guard down with their backpacks and luggage, making them susceptible targets for criminals.