2 Vietnamese go in the trial for the major bonsai stealing in Kumamoto

Kumamoto – The criminal trial of two Vietnamese men accused of the theft of a number of bonsai trees from a specialized Bonsai store in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture, started at the Kumamoto District Court.

The verdict will be announced on March 12.

The two Vietnamese defendants are a 24 -year -old man from IgA, my prefects and a 29 -year -old man, without a fixed address.

They are accused of violating and stealing 33 bonsai trees from Gashoen, a bonsai cultivator located in Mifune.

Around 1:35 in the morning, on May 8, 2024, they are accused of climbing the outer wall, entering the property and stealing the Bonsai trees.

The total value of the stolen bonsai trees was about 18.8 million years ($ 126,000).

Both men are also accused of overloading, a violation of the law on immigration control (illegal residence).

The 24 -year -old man is also accused of cultivating marijuana, a violation of the law on marijuana control.

On February 26, trial procedures took place for the 24 -year -old defendant.

After the criminal prosecution gave it the declaration of opening regarding the case of theft, both the defense and the criminal prosecution asked questions.

According to the defendant, he entered Japan at Kansai airport in April 2019 as a technical internal for a one -year contract.

But he fled from the place of training.

He said that the salary was low and that the employer attributed a different job to what he said beforehand.

His mother and sister in Vietnam, with whom he was in contact daily, urged him to return home.

But he decided against her, thinking: “I must continue to send money to my poor family.”

But his work was limited because of his illegal status, and his income did not exceed the salary he received from his internship.

At that time, he found a job that offered “500,000 yen up to 1 million Yen” on a website in which Vietnamese nationals live illegally in Japan.

The job was to steal the bonsai trees.

He said that a man who called himself “Roy” was the leader of the theft group. But he never met man.

He, along with two other people, including the 29 -year -old defendant, led to the site.

He was responsible for waiting outside the wall and loading the stolen bonsai trees.

Theft lasted about 35 minutes based on security photo materials.

“I was very scared because it was the first time,” he said.

They left the site by car, hid the bonsai trees once in the mountains, in the Kagoshima Prefecture, took them under instructions and transported them to Aichi Prefecture.

Unlike the promise, the “reward” he received was 100,000 Yen.

The Defense Lawyer said that the rest of the money reward had to be granted after the stolen bonsai trees were sold in Vietnam.

The man separated from ways with the criminal group.

Next, he turned his hand to the cultivation of marijuana, a job that he obtained with the promise “200,000 home payment yen, plus life expenses”.

However, he was arrested in September 2024, before the cultivation of marijuana. He did not receive a single yen in compensation because of that, he said.

On February 25, the trial began for the 29 -year -old defendant.

The man said he was enthusiast to participate in the theft of Bonsai, he said it would be a “300,000 yen at 400,000 years.”

He said when he learned that the job was stolen, took down once or twice.

But he decided to participate because he remained illegally in Japan and could not find a decent job.

“I had trouble finding money to send home (to my family in Vietnam),” he said.

He said he did not know what a bonsai is and that he has no idea about his value.

However, when he was pressed during the trial, he said he understood that the Bonsai trees do not grow only one or two days.

“I think the business (which suffered damage) is very upset,” he said.

The payment of theft was 100,000 Yen, but 20,000 yen were deduced as transport expenses, so the real amount was 80,000 years, he said.

During the trial, he indicated the willingness to offer 200,000 yen as part of the damage repayment, but the victim did not answer, he said.

The criminal prosecution requested the court a sentence of eight years in prison and a fine of 700,000 years for the 24 -year -old man, along with the confiscation of marijuana plants.

On the other hand, the criminal prosecution asked the 29 -year -old man to be sentenced to five years in prison.

Defense lawyers for both defendants requested a suspended sentence, saying that “the defendants were mentioned” and that “they were in a subordinate position”.