Overview

• Osaka Prefectural Police arrested Chang Thi Thu Fen, 36, and her husband, Tomoyuki Takeshige, 47, on Oct. 6 on suspicion of violating the Customs Law and Plant Protection Act.
• Authorities allege about 45 tons of Vietnamese rice were shipped in two containers in June and misdeclared to plant quarantine officials and customs as green beans.
• Osaka Customs inspectors on June 25 found undeclared rice packed in 2,272 cardboard boxes hidden behind legitimately declared green beans inside a container.
• Customs say importing rice from Vietnam incurs roughly ¥341 per kilogram in duties, while green beans carry no duty, offering a strong financial motive to falsify declarations.
• Police are investigating whether the rice was to be sold as Japanese product during this year’s price spike and are tracing suspected co-conspirators in Vietnam.