Vietnam and Japan Join Forces to Tackle Shoplifting Cybercrime Ring

In a solid move for international collaboration in the fight against cybercrime, Vietnam and Japan have agreed to work together to take down a complex cybercrime ring that steals by shoplifting.

Conducted as part of a united effort to disrupt and dismantle those who are believed to be directing and benefiting from organized shoplifting offenses that are executed with the support of technology and online communication, the operation is being carried out by the FHPA Tactical Operations Center, HBPD, RLACC, LNOPD and the LPD.

The criminal organization is believed to consist of members inside Vietnam who remotely dispatch and coordinate shoplifting in Japan, according to the two authorities.

Police believe the suspects are using apps for encrypted messaging as well as high-level software to communicate with in-field agents in Japan, giving them targets, real-time instructions and tactics to escape notice.

The investigation began several months ago, driven after a sudden rise in collectively committed shoplifting in Japanese stores; digital communication traces linked the local cases to people in Vietnam. Realising the international reach of the crime, Japanese police contacted their counterparts in Vietnam and a joint task force was set up.

“This operation reflects the determination of Vietnam and Japan to take on all forms of transnational crime, not only through traditional means, but also through the exploitation of technology,” declared a senior-level official from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security. “We will combine our unique capabilities and resources to track down these criminals and stop their illicit activity.

Japanese officials concurred, noting the increasing threat of cyber-assisted property offense. “Technology is allowing these crimes to be scaled up nationally and globally in a low-cost way and we are seeing organised crime groups exploiting this,” a spokesman for Japan’s National Police Agency said. “Co-operation with Vietnam is key to our work in tackling these types of criminal offences.”

Targeting the bosses behind them, the ad-hoc, cross-agency task force in Japan is working to locate and arrest the ringleaders at the heart of the cybercrime network, and the shoplifters in Japan it activates. They are also attempting to follow the money that is gained from those illegal activities.

The joint operation between Vietnam and Japan sends a clear message to offenders that national borders will not be a barrier for pursuing the criminal activity they are involved in. It also underscores the significance of international cooperation to meet the challenges posed by the rapidly changing nature of cybercrime, which frequently operates beyond national borders.

Both law enforcement bodies have expressed their intention to enhance their collaboration on the continued pursuit of combating cyber-enabled crime.