35 Japanese held for telecom fraud in China

As many as 35 Japanese nationals have been detained on suspicion of telecom fraud in China's southeastern Fujian province, the Foreign Ministry said here today.
"The 35 Japanese nationals were detained by local police for alleged involvement in fraud on June 30," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a regular news briefing.
China has notified Japan in accordance with the consular agreement between the two countries, Geng said.
While he did not specify why the suspects were arrested, state media reported that the detention was linked to a telecom fraud.
Media reports said the suspects were detained in Fujian and were allegedly involved in telephone scams targeting residents in Japan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.