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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.China sentences former Japanese politician to life for drug smuggling
By Yanan Wang BEIJING©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
23 Comments
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Sceptical
You missed this Ganbare Japan!Today 04:50 pm JST
He is a courier, a donkey for big 'dineros'. His luck runs out.
Meiyouwenti
Sakuragi was too careless in agreeing to carry a suitcase full of shoes through an airport in China.
Ex_Res
Its a political anti-Japan judgment by Communist PRC. Just another way to attack Japan. Let Sakuragi go free, he is very old, why would he traffick drugs.
I think the judgement has more to do with 3.3 kilograms of methamphetamine rather than anything political.
kurisupisu
The rule is don’t carry anything for anyone...
Kazu Oishi
Its a political anti-Japan judgment by Communist PRC. Just another way to attack Japan. Let Sakuragi go free, he is very old, why would he traffick drugs.
Uh.... the same reasons why anyone would smuggle narcotics...
You are commenting as if seniors don’t need money or they are immune to problems of life.
Does it look suspiciously biased? Yes
Do I think the Chinese government are burning him unfairly because of their negative feelings toward us? Yes
But to speculate that he is innocent solely based on his age is quite a bold assumption.
He was asked by a Nigerian acquaintance to bring in a package full of shoes??
Not sure if he was really that naive and oblivious but I think he should have rejected such request because he now sounds like a gullible old fool.
commanteer
It's possible he is innocent. I have seen some remarkably stupid politicians here, so it wouldn't be that surprising if he did agree to carry a case full of shoes.
Disillusioned
What sort of idiot would do something like this? He knew what was in them and he was a paid courier.
Jeff Huffman
Don't ya just love the Chinese government? China is one of the world's largest produces of fentanyl and yet they send a Japanese drug smuggler to prison for life.
Ex_Res
Its a political anti-Japan judgment by Communist PRC. Just another way to attack Japan. Let Sakuragi go free, he is very old, why would he traffick drugs.
As you have often quoted in the past Ganbare "There culture, their rules".
chisineko
Two Sub-Saharan individuals attempt to use luggage belonging to a Japanese national to smuggle drugs, but some old guy gets caught up in the scam.
extanker
It's hard to have sympathy for someone dumb enough to carry a suitcase full of stuff packed by someone else.
DNALeri
Did he go to China specifically to pick up that suitcase? Or did he happen to be in China on a group tour and was approached by the African guys, who then asked him to take the suitcase to Japan? Quite relevant difference.
thepersoniamnow
Tom Young
In China sentenced to death with a reprieve of any kind in general means life in Prison.
Daxy
Let them all go.
Edgar Zardaryan
The old man was in on the deal 100% Of course he is going to deny any involvement.
Assuming this was political, would imply that Chinese Customs knowingly allows smugglers to pass. That’s ridiculous he got caught and he happens to be Japanese that’s it.
His sentence is fair according to the Law in China. That’s the risk of doing business in China.
showchinmono
Lock your suitcase firm. no kindness needed to carry anything else for stranger when travel in/out PRC.
Really? Well you had better not go to PRC in the 1st place then.
Tom Young
"A Malian man was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve"
I have no idea what this means, but I love it.
Akie
There are no special people before Chinese laws, be it Japanese smugglers, or HK terrorists.
Sceptical
sakuragi you're disgrace, you are killing you're own countrymen.
Ganbare Japan!
Its a political anti-Japan judgment by Communist PRC. Just another way to attack Japan. Let Sakuragi go free, he is very old, why would he traffick drugs.