Japanese police have arrested a group of nine Chinese nationals for allegedly committing a series of robberies and thefts in eastern Japan, the Japanese police said Tuesday.

They include Zhao Deming, 24, a resident of Eniwa, Hokkaido, and Wang Wei, 22, of no fixed address. All nine came to Japan for studying.

The Chinese have confessed to committing a total of 60 robberies and thefts in seven prefectures and gaining at least 25 million yen worth of cash and electronic appliances. Tokyo, Aomori, Miyagi and Chiba were among the seven prefectures, the police said.

Investigations show Zhao and his accomplices broke into a beauty salon in Tokyo's Kita Ward on March 25, 2005, and stole a cash card and 60,000 yen in cash. Zhao allegedly took out 1.45 million yen from an automated teller machine at a convenience store in the same ward using the cash card, the police said.

Zhao and his group have told investigators that they became acquainted with each other at their schools or Internet cafes and used the money they stole for tuition and living, they said.

After the arrest of Wang in March 2005 in Sendai on suspicion of lock picking, the police arrested other members of the group, the police said