Fake Dealership Used to Illegally Secure Residency for Sri Lankans

A suspect is accused of orchestrating a widespread visa scheme, allegedly obtaining business manager residency status through a fraudulent car dealership located in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. The suspect, a 44-year-old Sri Lankan man, was arrested on July 7th. He is suspected of assisting other Sri Lankans in illegally obtaining residency by submitting falsified corporate documents to immigration authorities.

Police investigations reveal that the suspect, Mohamed Irfan, utilized a fake car dealership to generate fraudulent financial statements in December 2023. This allowed a Sri Lankan man to acquire a business manager visa by falsely presenting himself as the company's head. The suspect, a resident of Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, has denied the accusations.

This case is part of a larger investigation. Since May of the previous year, authorities have identified at least nine Sri Lankans suspected of illegally obtaining residency through the suspect's network. Authorities believe the suspect operated a scheme using numerous shell companies to repeatedly falsify documents and secure immigration approval.

In many instances, the suspect and his associates reportedly arranged for Sri Lankans to obtain engineer/specialist in humanities/international services visas, designated for skilled workers, by falsely claiming employment with fictitious firms. Subsequently, some individuals were repositioned as company "executives" to apply for a business manager visa.

Police have seized records of approximately 600 businesses linked to the suspect. The majority are believed to be dummy companies with no actual commercial activity. Authorities suspect that many more fraudulent visas may have been issued using similar methods.

Victims of the scheme reported being lured with false promises. Several of the apprehended Sri Lankans stated they were told they could earn significant money in Japan and eventually bring their families. They reportedly paid between 500,000 and 1 million yen in broker fees to enter the country.

Once in Japan, many were employed in manual labor, such as construction and demolition, which differed from the skilled jobs their visas were intended for. Some reported being charged additional fees by brokers in Japan, including for job placements and transportation, leading to further debt. Many lived together in cramped, shared apartments to reduce expenses.

Those who entered Japan on tourist visas paid tens of thousands of yen in referral fees to connect with a broker or for visa status changes. In cases where residency was obtained as executives of fake companies, additional charges, such as fees for fabricated documents, were added, bringing the total to over 100,000 yen. One victim stated they were tricked and unable to send money home, but felt compelled to repay their debts.