12 Chinese nabbed over faking relations as war-displaced Japanese

Japanese police have arrested 12 Chinese people believed to be kin of a woman who entered Japan using the name of a displaced Japanese in China during World War II, suspecting they have committed fraud and an immigration law violation, the police said Thursday.

The woman had been officially recognized as Hideko Mizusaki in October 1995 and subsequently came to Japan along with several other people including the woman's eldest son Lin Xunwen, 59, and his wife Yang Xiangzhu, 58, who are among the 12 who have been arrested. Lin and his wife are suspected of inviting their relatives to Japan, hoping to get them recognized as Japanese based on the alleged blood relations with Mizusaki.