Why This Topic Landed in Japan

Two Vietnamese nationals were arrested on suspicion of stealing roughly 13 tons of copper cable — about ¥55 million worth — from solar power facilities in Fukui Prefecture. The pair denied the allegations, and police are investigating the case as the work of "Tokuryū," the anonymous, loosely organized crime groups linked to a wave of recent thefts. Copper theft from solar sites and power lines has been mounting nationwide and is increasingly described as infrastructure destruction, so the scale of this case sharpened anger over repeated damage. It also fused with distrust of the courts — a widespread belief that foreign-national metal-theft cases often end without charges — and with criticism of immigration policy. Whether Tokuryū is actually behind it, and the belief that such cases repeatedly go uncharged, remain unconfirmed.

Key Reaction Themes

  • Distrust of prosecutors and "no charges" (most common) — Most comments expected the case to end without charges, questioning the point of arrests and whether police and government take the thefts seriously.
  • Anger over the infrastructure-damage cost (next largest) — Many argued the true cost far exceeds the ¥55 million cable value once the labor to re-lay it is counted, calling the thefts a form of terrorism.
  • Scrap-buyer regulation and the crime's structure (a smaller group) — Some pointed at dealers who buy cable of unknown origin and at how gig-style "dark part-time" recruiting assembles the crews.

What Japanese Netizens Are Saying

Copper cable theft at a Fukui solar facility

Two Vietnamese nationals were arrested over roughly 13 tons of stolen copper cable, drawing distrust of prosecutors and anger over infrastructure damage.

Hokuriku Express｜北陸エクスプレス
Hokuriku Express｜北陸エクスプレス
@hokuriku_info
·

あわら市の太陽光施設から銅線ケーブルを窃盗か　ベトナム国籍の男2人を逮捕　容疑を否認　トクリュウによる犯行か（FBC 福井放送） #Yahooニュース news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e0a35…

news.yahoo.co.jpあわら市などの太陽光施設から銅線ケーブルを窃盗か　ベトナム国籍の男2人を逮捕　容疑を否認　警察はトクリュウによる犯行とみて捜査（FBC 福井放送） - Yahoo!ニュースあわら市などの太陽光発電施設から、およそ5500万円相当の銅線ケーブルを盗んだとして、ベトナム国籍の男2人が逮捕されました。 窃盗などの疑いで逮捕されたのは、いずれもベトナム国籍で岐阜県各務原市の
Reply
Read more on X

Sources: Yahoo! news, 2ch

Comments:

  • "It'll end in no charges anyway, right?"
  • "If Tokuryū is involved, there's no way it ends in no charges — they wouldn't flip on the bosses to cut a deal."
  • "What's the point of arresting them if it ends in no charges?"
  • "How many times is this now? Are the prefectural police and the government even taking this seriously?"
  • "If the cable alone is ¥55 million, then with the labor to lay it, the real cost tops ¥300 million."
  • "Destroying infrastructure — that's something, it's basically terrorism."
  • "Crack down on the scrap buyers."
  • "It turns the solar panels into mere ornaments, so it's doubly awful."
  • "What are they going to do about this — is no one going to take responsibility?"