onehunga 26 Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 I've just read an article in the NZ Herald about a kiwi who got busted for drugs in Japan. First I heard about it. The article contains the following "Another family member, who asked not to be named, said it was not uncommon for Europeans to be randomly searched by the secret police in Japan and Price stood out, at 1.87m with blond hair". In another first I've never heard of these secret police, and never heard of people being randomly searched. Anyone here heard of this happening before? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I've never heard of these secret police That's because they're secret. and never heard of people being randomly searched. Anyone here heard of this happening before? Never heard of it. Doesn't sound like it would be legal... Was this on a public street? Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Japan doesn't have "secret police".....they have undercover drug squads thats not the same thing. "Random" drug searches do happen especially in particular areas....such as Roppongi or Kabukicho in Shinjuku and you'll find that theres probably a higher percentage of non-asians getting stopped than asians.....but the Police are more likely to stop black people and search than white. Police here can stop and ID check anyone, which is why you are meant to carry your gaijin card or passport around with you at all times. In 11 years of being here I have been asked for my ID twice, once down the beach because we had built a bonfire and another outside the train station (we must have been very noisy gaijin) and both times we just casually walked away without producing any ID....they didn't chase us or anything. I know people who have been stopped tho in Tokyo and I know of one guy who was in a nightclub when it was raided and arrested because he didn't have a gaijin card (he's half Japanese and is a Japanese citizen, but they didn't believe him). But its hardly a Police state that the term "Secret police" would indicate. Link to post Share on other sites
surfarthur 22 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Sounds like a (deliberate) bad translation to me. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 How about the mini skirt police- I haven't heard from them in a while. GG should know. Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 A Kiwi male model has returned home after five weeks in a Japanese jail for trying to run from police who found him with cocaine. Kieran Price, of Orewa, was arrested during a random search in Tokyo in July. He was carrying 0.2g of the drug. The 25-year-old, who featured in the 2010 Cleo Bachelor of the Year competition, was reaching celebrity status in Japan after appearing in a TV advertisement for water. His mother, Amanda Bennett, says the 35 days he spent behind bars was a life-changing experience. "He certainly regrets putting his family and friends through the stress. That would have been foremost on his mind," she said. "He's a very kind, hard-working young person who enjoys life. He has paid a price and learned a lot from this. He wants to put it behind him and move on." Bennett says her son is back in New Zealand, returning to a promising landscape and design career and may embark on a university degree next year. Japanese media quoted police as saying Price threw a plastic bag containing white powder away before trying to flee officers. Another family member, who asked not to be named, said it was not uncommon for Europeans to be randomly searched by the secret police in Japan and Price stood out, at 1.87m with blond hair. He said Price received a suspended sentence that took into account time spent in prison. "He received three feeds of rice a day and showered twice a week. He's made an error of judgment but he's had a long time to think about it." Bennett said her son started modelling after being spotted a couple of years ago "He's happy to let that go for a while and to look at his future." Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 I've never heard of these secret police That's because they're secret. and never heard of people being randomly searched. Anyone here heard of this happening before? Never heard of it. Doesn't sound like it would be legal... Was this on a public street? May have been on a public street, see full article above. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 But he DID have cocaine.....it IS illegal....not as if he was fitted up for it Link to post Share on other sites
onehunga 26 Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 Sounds like he was a stupid idiot, lucky it was Japan and not Thailand. I brought it up because of the quote in my first post. Either I have no idea what is going on in some circles in Tokyo, or his rellies are trying to down play how f....king stupid he was, by putting some blame on the Japanese Police. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Are the police really allowed to do random searches, without reason for suspicion (however flimsy)? I thought even ID checks had to have some kind of specific justification. (Not that one would be wise to argue the point.) Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Actually you are entitled to see their ID as well, which for some reason they aren't as quick to show. Yeah, the police can stop and search a foreigner for any reason......to "check" their ID is a viable excuse. It does sound like they are trying to blame Japanese police for what would seem to be the guy's own stupidity Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 I've just read an article in the NZ Herald about a kiwi who got busted for drugs in Japan. First I heard about it. The article contains the following "Another family member, who asked not to be named, said it was not uncommon for Europeans to be randomly searched by the secret police in Japan and Price stood out, at 1.87m with blond hair". In another first I've never heard of these secret police, and never heard of people being randomly searched. Anyone here heard of this happening before? No. Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Me neither Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Na...just regular undercover cops. Secret police....pulease... Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 It was about fifteen years ago, but I was once called into the police box when crossing the road at Roppongi and had my bags and shoes searched. I cannot stand Roppongi and was only there on my way to a club called Yellow down in Nishi Azabu. Had the circumstances been different, I suppose I would have been caught and it would have changed my life. Given what real "secret police" do in authoritarian countries, it is an exaggeration to call Japanese cops "secret police". However, the regular police will stop non-Japanese on spurious contexts (e.g., suspicion that a bicycle you actually bought in a shop may have been stolen) and then start searching you on the premise that "loads of gaijins have drugs". That definitely happens and its pretty crap to be honest. There are lots of better things the police could be doing. Any war on drugs throwing the book at people carrying 0.1g of speed or cocaine but otherwise minding their own business is even more misguided than normal. Link to post Share on other sites
pie-eater 207 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I be there are secret police here, but they are so secret that we just don't know about them. Their mums probably don't even know about them. Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I've never heard of anyone being stopped by police for a search. None of my friends are dodgy looking though. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Yellow was a great club Link to post Share on other sites
brit-gob 9 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Yellow? I knew a Gold.... Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 No problem with folks who want to do drugs, and no sympathy for them if they get caught. Link to post Share on other sites
ILoveZao 8 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I have a problem with people who want to do drugs and then drive, or do something else that affects other people. Same with drink. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Yeah, thats not on. You make your own choices and live with the consequences but when they choices start having consequences for other people.....well thats just not cricket. I've dabbled with some party prescriptions in the past but over here the dangers outweigh the fun......for the sake of having a few hours of pleasure, I'm not gonna risk 20 years in the nick! What other people do is up to them, but not for me. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 If you're minding your own business, the police should leave you alone. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Yes I agree totally, but regardless on your views of drug taking, they are illegal and if caught you run the risk of severe consequences. The police can stop and search you on spurious pretexts both at home and over here so its your own neck. Link to post Share on other sites
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