crime

Justice minister apologizes as 6,600 police hunt fugitive thief

43 Comments

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43 Comments
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This is more about saving face that a petty criminal on the run. The police and media have painted a picture of a radioactive serial murder roaming the streets. What a waste of man power.

23 ( +24 / -1 )

Terror caused by a thief? A bit hyperbolic, Fuji TV.

21 ( +21 / -0 )

Perhaps the police can hold hands and walk across the island there is enough of them.

18 ( +18 / -0 )

Above photo subtitle: "When your boss tries to cover up his mistake by making you perform ridiculous actions but you do not have the ability to protest so you silently go along."

14 ( +15 / -1 )

When i said it was a waste of resources a week ago because he was just a thief and not a murderer i got like 8 thumbs down. Let's see what people think now

14 ( +17 / -3 )

@Tommy Jones - Terror caused by a thief? 

Nah, the terror is caused by the 6,600 police swarming the island.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

Should be apologizing for the waste of money!!!!

14 ( +15 / -1 )

This should make for a great movie!

13 ( +13 / -0 )

engaged in a fruitless manhunt 

It will only be fruitless if they don’t capture him. Perhaps it could read: engaged in a so-far fruitless manhunt. Or, better yet, engaged in a manhunt.

Also, it’s good to know that helicopters are useless at spotting people in a hilly landscape, like, uh, most of Japan.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

At what point will someone with a brain step in and end this embarrassing fiasco?

6600 police officers have been taken off their primary role for the country;

Stopping people on bicycles.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

This is a good example of Japanese "logic"

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Ever thought he might have stolen a police uniform, and is now hiding in plain sight.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

I saw on TV hordes of cops stopping every car, bringing traffic to a half, and generally making life miserable for the islanders. Wait for their sympathies to turn to the thief.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Now just imagine if he's not on the island.  What then?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

6,600 police looking for one polite and simple thief who stole nothing really? (Not the car, he borrowed it) What a waste of time and energy .

6 ( +8 / -2 )

This guy was in prison for theft and has 6600 police chasing him. Meanwhile, the finance ministry officials who colluded in selling state land cheaply haven't even been arrested. That's Japanese "justice" for you. Get those 6600 police investigating the corrupt finance ministry instead.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I’m not surprised he is apologizing. They’ve had over 6,000 cops swarming all over a small island for a week looking for a low security prison escapee and they still haven’t caught him. I think they should be refunding a lot of the residents taxes as well for wasting so much of it on this farce.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

How does one "escape" from an open facility?

Kap - this is the big joke. These prisoners are trusted to remain fairly free. Its not like he busted out. He literally walked out. And why headline news for an open prisoner? And as you say why 6,000 cops manhunting for a guy who could walk out?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Nah, the terror is caused by the 6,600 police swarming the island.

You're giving Fuji TV a lot of credit if you're claiming it meant the police. Somehow, I detect sarcasm.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Borscht: Exactly.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The thief is not evil. He could be anyone on the street. The waste of government funds on the manhunt for a harmless man is pathetic. He should be pardoned and the media should be ordered to disperse.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

He will probably get caught a month or two later and comment "I just got tired of being on the run"

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This dude is a legend 6,600 police and they can't find him on a small island. And he has good manners.

If they do catch him he's probably going to be famous and a celebrity. And why not? What he has done has been nothing short of amazing.

Ever thought he might have stolen a police uniform, and is now hiding in plain sight.

That would make him BEYOND amazing.

Now just imagine if he's not on the island. What then?

Then the cops would look even MORE incompetant than they do now.

if there are not mass amounts of people owning firearms in Japan (they are legal just not wide spread) and Japan is supposedly doesn't have as much of a high crime rate like the USA, what do these 6,600 police do every day? 

Stand in the Koban and give directions to lost Japanese, stop foreigners and asking them for ID, get called to izakaya or karaoke for unruly behavior and just stand there without doing anything..

The ONLY reason the cops are putting on a full press here is their stupid pride has been hurt.

Exactly. And that's why I hope he gets tired of being on the run and turns himself in instead of being caught.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Perhaps they could give him a job at the Police Academy teaching the trainees how to catch thieves.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This thief will probably cause the end of these open style rehab prisons that were working fine until he escaped, that will be his legacy. So yeah this criminal is no hero and he might have ruined it for other prisoners

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The real question to ask, if there are not mass amounts of people owning firearms in Japan (they are legal just not wide spread) and Japan is supposedly doesn't have as much of a high crime rate like the USA, what do these 6,600 police do every day?  Keep in mind that there are other police doing other things so that's a lot of cops for a relatively peaceful place.  Just wondering.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Dang, even Japanese criminals are so polite.

But seriously, WHY would a model prisoner break out unless there was some really important reason? Did he receive news that his loved one was dying or something?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hanging out in a very low security prison for another couple of years or escaping........

Robin thinks hanging out might be the safer option but the eleven day adrenaline rush must be something else

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The stolen items include socks, a mobile phone, a wallet, a pair of sandals and a car key, whose owner found a polite note -- apparently from the fugitive -- saying: "I'm borrowing your car but I won't damage it."

This dude is a legend 6,600 police and they can't find him on a small island. And he has good manners.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I see a sequel to Fugitive coming out soon.

Seriously, it's just a thief. It's not like he's a serial killer or something.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I saw on the news that many residents are sick and tired of the OTT police presence. How long are they going to keep this up? It's making the authorities look ridiculous.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

who stole nothing really? (Not the car, he borrowed it)

So if I take your keys, your wallet, and your car, and I "eventually" return them to you, do you promise to not call the police and report me for theft? Hell I am only "borrowing" them with the intent to return it someday!

Dont understand the logic some people have. It's ok or no big deal when it's someone else, but a different story when it's your own.

Yeah this is a waste of man power, as there are plenty of unsolved murders and murder suspects on the lam here in Japan, and they get little if any coverage.

While this guy is not a violent criminal, he still is a criminal, and escaped "inmate". The ONLY reason the cops are putting on a full press here is their stupid pride has been hurt.

A total of 21 inmates have escaped since the opening of the prison in 1961.

This is more concerning to me. Consider that this prison has had an escape, on average of 1 every two or 3 years, THAT tells me there is a bigger problem not being discussed!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Just give him a passport and a oneway ticket to somewhere far away. Give him a police escort even; he has entertained us long enough.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The first few days they sent 100+ Police to search for this lone runner, in an island - that was already so funny .. currently at 6,600 - I'm dying here, lol..lol.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Since is very polite guy and this is Japan.....Please come home now and all will be forgiven! 100 yen it works.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Over 6000 Jcops and 1 escapee?

jmagine if it was a full prison break!!:-/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He will probably get caught a month or two later and comment "I just got tired of being on the run"

Or if not caught, turn himself in...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How does one "escape" from an open facility?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

He's not even on the island anymore. It's obvious.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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