In a case where a former Chinese national employee who worked for an electronic component manufacturer was arrested for taking design data for in-vehicle devices, it was found that multiple other data were suspected of being taken out, according to interviews with people involved in the investigation. The former employee immediately moved to Honda, a major automobile company, and the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the circumstances of the company's attempt, believing that he tried to use the data at his new job.
The suspect, Zhang Tianwen (32), a Chinese national who was an employee of Alps Alpine, a major electronic components company, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act in November for accessing the company's server and saving the design data of in-vehicle devices on a hard disk and taking it out, and was sent to the public prosecutor's office on the morning of the 11th.
According to those involved in the investigation, the data taken out is advanced technology related to the electronic control of the car, and it is suspected that multiple other data were taken out.
Zhang was working in the automotive sector at the time and was given access to these trade secrets.
The suspect changed jobs to the automobile giant "Honda" the following month and continued to work on technology development, so the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the circumstances of the accident, thinking that he tried to use the data at the new job.
The Metropolitan Police Department has not disclosed the identification, saying that it would interfere with the investigation.