A Chinese man has been arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of running an unlicensed taxi service by lending out urban hire vehicles to non-employees.
Wang Xiaoyu, 41, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly violating the Road Transportation Act. He lent green-plated urban hire vehicles registered to Phoenix Kokusai to 18 drivers who then transported Chinese tourists and others between February and April this year.
Police said Wang received around 38 million yen in fees from the drivers for use of the company name between November 2024 and May 2026. Urban hire vehicles must be reserved in advance with a minimum two-hour charter contract.
The investigation began after licensed taxi drivers complained about illegal passenger solicitation at Haneda Airport. Three other Chinese drivers were also arrested. Wang has partially denied the allegations.