Japanese Police Serve Fresh Warrants on Three People Over Alleged Residency-Card Misuse

Japanese police on July 5 served fresh arrest warrants on three people, including a 44-year-old man, for allegedly violating the immigration control law by illegally using a residence card. The man, Hu Shi, is believed to be the second-in-command of Prince Holding Group, considered one of Asia’s largest international fraud organizations and subject to sanctions by U.S. authorities and others, Japan Times reported.

Hu holds a five-year residence status as a highly skilled professional and is believed to have been traveling back and forth to Japan since at least around 2023. Hu and two others were initially arrested last month by Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of submitting a false move-in notification.

Also on July 5, the joint investigation headquarters of the MPD and the Osaka Prefectural Police arrested Chen Xiaoguang, a 49-year-old Chinese national living in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward, on suspicion of violating the immigration control law.

Hu has partially denied the charges, while Chen has denied the allegations. Police allege that the suspects conspired to use Hu’s residence card on May 28 at the Chuo Ward Office to impersonate him and complete procedures for seal registration. Around April 17, four people met at a hotel in Osaka to discuss how Hu could obtain permanent residence in Japan, according to Japan Times.

A 36-year-old woman received Hu’s residence card, and a 31-year-old man carried out the procedures at the ward office. Hu reportedly said that he felt in danger in other countries and that he wanted to live in a place where he could be safe.