A Vietnamese man, Tran Trung, and his accomplice whose name has not been disclosed, entered a store in Fujisawa City and allegedly shoplifted 17 items, including baby goods and cosmetics worth around 85,000 yen ($765), the Tokyo Reporterreported Wednesday. It did not mention the date of theft or arrest.

The duo have denied the allegations, police said.

However, the report also cited police as saying both are suspected of being members of a large-scale shoplifting gang believed to have carried out more than 70 thefts.

The gang steals cosmetics and other products from local stores to sell in Vietnam, where Japanese cosmetics are favored and sought after by many, police said.

Citing police sources, the Tokyo Reporter had reported Sunday that two other Vietnamese shoplifters, also believed to be members of a gang, were detained on March 26.

Vietnamese have overtaken Philippine nationals as the third largest minority group behind China and South Korea.

The community has gained notoriety for having the highest crime rate than any foreign non-permanent residents living in Japan.

Japanese police recorded 5,140 crimes by Vietnamese people in 2017, up from 3,177 the year before, accounting for 30.2 percent of all crimes committed by foreign nationals.

Shoplifting was the main crime, with 2,037 cases, while the number of burglaries they committed shot up to 325 from just 12 the previous year.