51 Foreigners Including Five Japanese Detained in Laos

Jul 28, 2026 | News On Japan

LAOS - Authorities in Laos have detained 51 foreign nationals, including five Japanese men and women, on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud operation selling furniture and home appliances.

Lao police said on July 27 that officers raided a hotel in the northern province of Xieng Khouang after receiving a tip from a local resident.

A total of 51 people, including Chinese nationals and people from Taiwan, were detained at the hotel on July 22 on suspicion of involvement in organized fraud. The group included five Japanese nationals of both sexes.

Authorities also seized more than 100 mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices from rooms used by the suspected operation.

The group is believed to have been involved in fraudulent online sales of furniture, household appliances and other goods.

The Japanese Embassy in Laos said it was still confirming the facts of the case.

Lao authorities have continued to raid bases linked to organized fraud schemes, with a series of Japanese nationals detained in recent crackdowns.

Source: TBS

Typhoon No. 17 Could Bring Sudden Swells to Pacific Beaches

Typhoon No. 17 (Nangka) remained near Minamitorishima as of 3 a.m. on August 14 and is expected to stay relatively weak, but forecasters warned that high waves and sudden swells could affect Japan's Pacific coast, posing a risk to swimmers and others enjoying marine activities during the summer holiday period.

Level 5 Heavy Rain Emergency Warning Issued Across Chiba

A Level 5 heavy rain emergency warning was issued for more than 20 municipalities in Chiba Prefecture on August 13 after a linear rainband formed over northwestern and southern parts of the prefecture, bringing torrential rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters per hour in several locations and causing widespread flooding, stranded vehicles and damage to buildings.

Google Opens Flagship Store in Tokyo's Omotesando

Google opened its first flagship store in Japan in Tokyo's Omotesando district at 2 p.m. on August 13, marking the company's first flagship retail location outside the United States.

Jellyfish-Like Red Glow Lights Up Kanagawa

A mysterious red light stretching vertically across the night sky over Kanagawa Prefecture has been identified as a rare "sprite," a brief luminous phenomenon that occurs high above thunderclouds at roughly the same time as powerful lightning strikes.

Awa Odori Dancers Fill Tokushima Streets

Street performances began across Tokushima on August 12 as the city's Awa Odori festival entered its second day, with leading dance groups showcasing graceful routines after months of practice.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Pythons Escape From Apartment in Kawasaki

Two pet pythons measuring about 2 meters in length escaped from an apartment in Kawasaki's Tama Ward early on August 13, prompting police and firefighters to search the surrounding residential area and warn local residents.

The Unseen Reality of Kumamoto Quake Survivors

Fifteen days after the Kumamoto earthquake, restoration of electricity and transport infrastructure is progressing, but thousands of people are believed to remain outside official shelters, while rising construction costs and interest rates are creating new challenges for rebuilding homes and restoring livelihoods.

Teens on Stolen Motorcycle Fire Rockets at Police Officers

Two teenage boys from Tokyo's Adachi Ward have been arrested on suspicion of stealing a motorcycle and firing aerial fireworks toward police officers at two police boxes, telling investigators they were annoyed that a new police box had opened in the area.

Japanese Woman Trapped in North Korea for 40 Years

Hiroko Saito was 19 years old when she left Japan for North Korea in June 1961 with her Korean husband and their one-year-old daughter, persuaded by assurances that they were heading to a "paradise on earth" and that she could return to Japan after three years. Instead, she would spend four decades in North Korea, enduring chronic hunger, the deaths of her husband and children and a desperate struggle to survive before finally escaping and returning home in 2001.