Settled
Police arrest two former Toyota subsidiary employees over trade secret leak
In short
Aichi prefectural police arrested two former employees of Sintec Hozumi, a Toyota Motor subsidiary in Miyoshi, Aichi, on suspicion of leaking company trade secrets. Police say the secret was cost data for automated guided vehicle charging devices, copied in September 2024 and passed to a former supervisor who had left the company. Police have not said whether the two admit or deny the allegations.
Why it matters
The arrests involve a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, Japan's largest automaker, and turn on the handling of supplier cost data inside a manufacturing supply chain. The case puts attention on how industrial companies in Aichi, a centre of Japanese manufacturing, manage internal data after employees move to other firms. The documents give no indication of the scale of any commercial damage.
Key facts
- Aichi prefectural police arrested two former employees of Sintec Hozumi, a Toyota Motor subsidiary in Miyoshi, Aichi, on October 5 on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act over trade secret acquisition and disclosure. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The two are a 48-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman, both former employees living in Toyota, Aichi. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun named the suspects as Yuichi Terada, 48, of Josui-cho, Toyota, and Yukie Takayama, 60, of Higashishinmachi, Toyota. [ 1 ]
- Police said the trade secret was electronic data on the cost of automated guided vehicle charging devices, including suppliers and unit prices. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The woman is suspected of copying the data from a company server and passing it to the man on September 23, 2024, while both were accused of conspiring. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Sintec Hozumi found the damage in an internal investigation and consulted Aichi prefectural police in December 2024. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police have not disclosed whether the two suspects admit or deny the allegations. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Aichi prefectural police arrested two former Sintec Hozumi employees on suspicion of Unfair Competition Prevention Act violations over trade secrets. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The trade secret concerned cost data for automated guided vehicle charging devices, including supplier and unit price information. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The data was copied from the company server in September 2024 and passed to a former supervisor. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Sintec Hozumi consulted Aichi prefectural police in December 2024 after an internal investigation. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police have not made public whether the suspects admit or deny the allegations. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Both suspects had left Sintec Hozumi by the time of the arrests; the woman worked there until June 2025. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the two suspects admit or deny the allegations. All three documents say the police have not disclosed their stance.
- Where the man worked after leaving Sintec Hozumi. Sankei says he moved to a competitor in the same industry, while Asahi and Yomiuri say he joined a company that does business with Sintec Hozumi.
- What motive police suspect and whether the leaked data was used commercially. The documents describe the suspected leak but give no stated motive or evidence of use.
What local media are saying
Business mediaAll three documents are major national newspapers, which reported the arrests in a factual crime-news style and emphasised the type of data involved, the suspects' employment history and the cloud route used to pass the files. Sankei named the two suspects, while Asahi and Yomiuri gave only their ages and addresses; Asahi also carried a company apology and said the firm would tighten information management.
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Timeline, local time
- The man leaves Sintec Hozumi, according to police accounts. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The woman is suspected of copying cost data on automated guided vehicle charging devices from the company server and passing it to the man, who had become a former supervisor. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Sintec Hozumi consults Aichi prefectural police after an internal investigation identifies the damage. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The woman's employment at Sintec Hozumi ends, according to police accounts. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the arrests, naming both suspects. [ 1 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reports the arrests, describing the cloud upload and the company's comment. [ 3 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reports the arrests, noting the cloud service is normally used with business partners. [ 4 ]