Armed robbery committed by foreigners?

A news report from ATV about a robbery that took place at a convenience store in the city of Minami Alps in Yamanashi prefecture:

The criminals were wearing black and had their faces partially covered. One was armed with a rifle-like object, another with a pipe, and a third was carrying a large knife. There may have also been a 4th criminal.
gaikokujin group

Police apparently told ATV that the criminals may have been foreign because of the way they asked for money (“カネ、カネを出せ”). However, the Yomiuri and Sankei newspaper articles I found on the internet do not mention anything about foreigners.

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11 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - January 21, 2010 at 5:59 am

Categories: General Japan Tags:

Simon

By that logic, Taro Aso could also be a foreigner, since he messes up his words.
kamome

The カネを出せ-line with a fake foreign accent has even been portrayed in movies.
Seems like a convient and popular way for japanese robbers to fool everybody.

Gaijinocchio

I second that. It’s also very strange that police told Asahi TV about the likeliness of foreign robbers, and not the Sankei and Yomiuri newspapers.

Perhaps the police did tell them all, but only Asahi TV thought it poignant to report the group may, or may not be, foreign.

Chaf

Pfff what a load of bullshit. Same thing happened when that dude shot those people in Nagasaki. The news stations first reported that it was a foreigner.
Rated-R

Minami Alps isn’t even a bad town! I bet the robbers were from Fujiyoshida or Isawa, probably yakuza rejects.
James Watt

The police often disseminate incorrect information to the media in order to fool the actual criminals into thinking they’ve gotten away with it.
SarahKirschbaum@Flyertalk

it’s nice to see that we foreigners are treated equally
when it comes to employement in Japan. (either legal
employment…. or in this case, crimial activity)

at least the bank tellers did say (in broken English):
“sorry, we don’t let foreigners rob us, only Japanese
robbers allowed…. no money for you… get out….”
Ajapa

Sankei reports that suspects had been covering their mouths with towels and such.
J

So what is the proper Japanese for such a situation?

turningjapanese

anooo, chotto okane…oneigaishimasuu.

Marius

Can’t really say if this is the case here but robbers guised as foreigners has happened before. Remember a few instances a year or two ago. Easy to swallow for anyone watching the telly, and preferred over (gasp) writing it off in an instant were it just some countrymen.

Armed robbery committed by foreigners?

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