By Megumi Fujikawa

 

TOKYO--Japanese police on Tuesday sought criminal charges against Uber Technologies Inc.'s Japan unit for allegedly using foreign workers without visas to deliver food.

The police said that Uber Japan and two company representatives failed to check the legal status of two foreigners, including one Vietnamese man who remained in Japan after his visa expired, and allowed them to deliver food for Uber Eats in Tokyo between June and August 2020.

The police sent papers to prosecutors asking that criminal charges be filed against the company and the two individuals.

An Uber Eats representative said in a statement: "Uber takes any unauthorized use of the platform very seriously and has taken a number of steps to strengthen onboarding procedures for prospective couriers. We are fully cooperating with authorities on this matter."

Food-delivery services have expanded rapidly during the pandemic. At the same time, some foreign workers in Japan who lost their jobs but couldn't return home have overstayed their visas and continued to work in the country.

 

Write to Megumi Fujikawa at megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 22, 2021 02:31 ET (06:31 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Uber Technologies Charts.
Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024 Click Here for more Uber Technologies Charts.