Police in Tokyo have arrested a group of Thai nationals on suspicion of stealing copper cables from a solar power generation facility in suburban Tokyo.
The police said the four Thai nationals arrested are suspected of being involved in the theft of about 840 meters of cable from the facility in Hinode Town in May. The stolen cables are believed to be worth about 1.9 million yen, or about 12,900 dollars.
A member of the group, who is a 24-year-old suspected of giving the orders, is a resident of Chikusei City in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
Using a mapping app, the individual allegedly searched for the crime target and instructed the three others to cut and steal the cables. They allegedly sold the cables later.
The suspects told the police that the person who is believed to have given the instructions would receive about 100,000 yen, or about 670 dollars, per case, and the actual perpetrators each getting half that amount. They reportedly added that they used the money for living expenses or sent it to their home country.
The police suspect that the crime ring has repeated similar thefts in Tokyo and seven other prefectures at least 60 times, with estimated damage exceeding 100 million yen, or about 670,000 dollars.