A Vietnamese woman arrested in September on suspicion of theft had shoplifted around ¥28 million ($256,000) worth of goods at numerous drugstores in Tokyo and nine other prefectures over the past year, police said Tuesday.
The police suspect that 21-year-old Nguyen Thi Phuong Uyen stole around 8,300 cosmetics products and other items in 161 shoplifting cases since October last year.
They believe the suspect, who lives in Katsushika Ward in Tokyo, may have had several accomplices in the crimes.
Uyen was arrested on Sept. 17 on suspicion of shoplifting 30 items worth around ¥80,000 from a drugstore in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Nov. 20 last year.
She predominantly shoplifted at drugstores belonging to the same chain, the police said.