Police in Tokyo have arrested a Nigerian bar owner and three hostesses for drugging the drinks of a male customers and then using his cash cards to empty out his bank account.
Police identified the bar as Club Little Cat in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku and said that about 20 men had been drugged and robbed since April, netting the suspects around 10 million yen, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police suspect that since the club opened seven years ago, male customers have been robbed of about 300 million yen.
The four were formally charged over a robbery that took place on April 20. According to police, a hostess targeted a 42-year-old male drinking by himself and plied him with whiskey containing a knockout drug. The hostess took the man's cash card to a convenience store and stole 1.3 million yen, before returning the cash card, police said.
Police didn't say how the suspects were able to ascertain the victim's PIN number.
© Japan Today
59 Comments
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CrazyJoe
The customers were drinking on a pay-as-you-go basis, so after every drink the hostess would accompany the customer in each case to the nearest ATM and take a peek (look) at the PIN number from behind when the customer withdrew some money.
Elbuda Mexicano
That's crazy! So Joe, how do you know so much about these Nigerian ripoff bars??
Get Real
And it's only come to light now?
CrazyJoe
@Elbuda Mexicano
I do get bits of information here and there, mostly there.
The Chronic
Don't even know why all these Nigerians, Somalians, etc etc are even allowed in this country. They basically destroyed their own countries and now they bring all their BS here. I have no problem against hardworking people who immigrate. But lazy a** people who just take advantage of the system should be shipped back to their own countries.
Row Bur
It's well known that under the influence of hypnotic pharmacueticals most directions will be obeyed without question. It's about time for a crackdown on these bastards. Sexual assault,theft,rape, common occurences in roppongi and other nigerian crime group centers.
DudeDeuce
Dare you to say that to Bobby Ologun's face.....
Jamie Lunel
I'd say it, but he wouldn't get angry if you finished The Chronic's quote.
I visited Tokyo last month and saw some of the Nigerians (etc) out looking for customers. They're all disgusting and should be shut down.
A simple sting operation would close most of those operations.
StormR
They seriously need to clean up these scum bags and deport anyone of them who does not have a real job, and I doubt there would be many who have real jobs.
They are robbing, stealing, dealing drugs, scamming and being a general nusciance, you cannot walk down the streets of kabukicho or roppongi without being hassled and al they want to do is rob you, Scum all needs to be cleaned up and shipped out.
As someone already stated how do they get into to Japan in the first place?
nath
Oh Japanese have been doing this for years also only you only hear no not in number 1. It would never happen and the rest are hushed up by yakuza money which whom most of the bars are owned by
Sherman
Most of these guys are married to stupid gullible Japanese girls who think they are US marines.
GalapagosnoGairaishu
You can bet that the police received complaints before, but were too indifferent or lazy to act on them. Probably in their view, anybody nuts enough to go drinking in such places gets what he deserves.
Jason Santana
Finally!! I love seeing these guys come to justice. What they try do on a daily basis in this area is horrible! Some follow up investigations should be done to find out the other places that this happen at. I'm tired of seeing these guys follow people around to think of someway to get all the money they can from people.
nath
Come to Japan, they said. It's "safe" they said...
papigiulio
That is 1! only 5000 to go. If they are removed from Roppongi it could be a nice place to visit again.....errrr
isoducky
A bar in Shinjuku, ran by a 42 year old Nigerian, no one smells fish. Calling foot soldier on this one. As far as Somalians and Nigerians go in Japan goes, besides smuggling (which would explain the need for excessive cash), many who get this far are in programs to develop Japan's Academic industry, some come come with family members on temp visas and stay past the due date.
gogogo
So much of this in Tokyo, I wish the police did more, they normally side with the bars because it's easier to say "you were drunk".
This happened to my friend, he went to the doctor and got tested to find out what he was spiked with, he showed the police the drug they used, they did not nothing because they said there was no proof he didn't take the drug and he was drunk and spent all his money!
tokyobakayaro
The only reason cops busted him is because he did not pay the monthly protection money. Let's face it, a lot of us here on JT and in Japan know those guys, their business, we all know they have been scamming people for years. US embassy posted warnings about spiked drinks on their website, japanese cops also know. However nobody did something. That bar opened 7 years ago.
Seven years of scams and nobody moved? Come on! There is something rotten in the state of Denmark.
Everytime one get busted we find exactly the same scheme. Japanese wife, spouse visa, borrowed money from nigerian mafia/community (sure he did not get the loan from CitiBank). There are so many like that one. One bar closed, ten other other will open with exactly the same scheme. Until tax office and cops decide to do something, they are no reasons scammers to stop their business.
nath
Ripping off clients is just as common (or more so) in bars run by Japanese. If he was given knockout drug (what are "hypnotic phrmeceuticals??) he wouldn't do as he was told. More likely he withdrew money with hostess watching. Roppongi without the touts wouldn't be Roppongi - nicer area my foot. They are easy to brush off and are not looking to rob you - just to get your business. Anyway, why have a go at Roppongi - this happened in Kabukicho which is, frankly, a bit of a tip. Note how everyone rails against the Nigerian bar owner but not against the (presumably Japanese) hostesses who did the scamming. Yes, many foreigners mary gullible Jpanese girls to get residence - so what? Happens all over the world. finally, if anything this is evidence of how safe Japan really is if it is big news and gets the reactions written above.
Frungy
Don't go to Roppongi or Kabukicho. It really isn't difficult. Everyone knows these areas aren't safe.
As for the Nigerians... kill a sheep and you can only kill it once, shear a sheep and you can shear it a thousand times. Rip-off drink prices and short changing... well, if your club is good enough and the girls are pretty enough they'll keep coming back. Drug someone and steal all their money and even the most relaxed, horny idiot will get the police involved.
Get Real
Feel an 'I'm Spartacus' moment reading this bile. Paint me black!
Disillusioned
It's kind of ironic they charge a gentlemen's bar owner with robbery. If you have ever visited one you know you are being robbed from the moment you step foot in the door. The whole system is criminal.
gaijinfo
This has been going on for a while, and the cops have known about it for a while. The U.S. embassy issued a warning a few years ago for Americans to stay out of Nigerian bars. (Well, they didn't specifically say "Nigerian," but they sort of alluded to that).
The problem is that this can seem hard to prosecute, as often times the mark himself is the one taking out all the cash, and handing it over to the hostess, so when they look at the camera footage, it's hard to say "I was drunk and I don't remember."
Perhaps because this hostess went herself and was recorded taking out cash from his account, she got busted.
Sadly, all this will do is to make the criminals be a bit more careful, that is take the mark to the ATM, convince them to take out the cash, and stand just out of view of the camera.
A lonely guy, half in the bag and drugged, promised the moon by a sweet young thing, easy money.
Daijoboots
Being poor yourself does not make the "whole system" criminal. It means you don't go back, and that is all.
CrazyJoe
They use 192-proof Polish Vodka to "spike" the drinks.
Michael Grant
They've been doing this for 7 years?! Might it not be a good idea to consider CLOSING the joint?!!!
Magnus Roe
I think you guys are mixing up various categories of clubs. Judging from the name and sound of the setup this was a pub or snack club, a lower grade hostess type club where you pay per hour to sit with a foreign girl, usually with free drinks of poor shochu and whisky. The drug is probably a roofie like rohypnol. The customers probably told them the PIN codes or the girls lifted it while card was used in the bar (unusual and unlikely).
Michael McThrow
As an African-American man, I am annoyed whenever Nigerians or other black people in Japan commit crimes. Over three years ago when I lived in Japan, I unknowingly ventured into Kabukicho when I entered Shinjuku for the very first time (I never heard of Kabukicho before and all of the problems there). While I was walking through the area, two black men approached me; I thought they were going to start a conversation with me about their experiences in Japan. But then they started asking me, "Do you want to **** a Japanese girl tonight?", and they even presented pictures! I've never seen this before even in the rough parts of America! I declined the proposition, managed to get myself out of Kabukicho safely, and found the Shinjuku Station to get away from the area.
Such people who perform illegal and immoral acts annoy me because they only reinforce the stereotypes that many people around the world have about black people, that we're prone to criminality and that we're bad influences wherever we go. These people make it harder for hard-working, law-abiding, moral black people to gain acceptance. Four months after that incident, I was stopped by the police in Shibuya on a summer Saturday night at around 9:00pm, being asked about why I was there. Once I told them that I was an American just sightseeing in Shibuya for the night, they politely ended the conversation and left. What was that about? I suspect it was racial profiling; that never happened to me in America.
I wish more people realized that, like it or not, we are representatives of our ethnicities and our home countries whenever we travel or live abroad. We have a responsibility to conduct ourselves respectfully in order for the next person from our ethnicity or nationality to enjoy a good experience. I had an overall great experience living in Japan; in fact, I'm going to go back later this month on a vacation to visit all of the friends that I made when I lived there. I was treated with respect by most people. I want it to stay this way.
Billy Orr
Deport the idiot , right away, he is abusing Japanese hospitality
Meguroman
Whether you are in Rio, Berlin, Bangkok or Kabukicho common sense applies. If you are drinking by yourself, dont get blotto and go into small unknown places. Plenty of lively larger places around in nicer areas. Read guide books and do your own risk assessment when they mention (and they all do) areas like the Pong and Kabukicho. There are actually some great places in Roppongi. I never stay too late and dont drink there alone. Certainly not my favourite part of Tokyo but occasionally it is OK. Ive spent time in Nigeria so can tell these guys to frack off in their own language but as a rule, I dont engage with them. Politely ignore and no worries. Anyone getting ripped off in these places abandoned common sense. And obviously, the police are on the take or none of these places could do what they do: health code violations, fire code violations, labor law violations and outright theft to top it off. Just too many good places and areas around town to even concern myself with the nasty bits.
Stephen Knight
With everything else this vast city has to offer, why would you want to???
Kabukilover
Before there were Nigerians there was the Yakuza, who had smarter ways of trimming people. If anything, the Nigerians are likely front men for the Japanese mobs. They are easy to spot and easy to hate. They are also easy to manipulate. At any rate, stay out of bars and hostess clubs. They are ripoffs, if only by degrees.
If you want to drink outside, go to a mom and pop sushi shop. You can have wholesome food along with your booze. If you want meet women, have a large coffee at Starbucks. When (not if) you meet a woman you like you can have a drink together somewhere cozy.
Elbuda Mexicano
Very surprised at all the negative comments about Nigerians, plenty of Chinese, Koreans, Iranians, some South Americans, and low and behold, your average white guy from the UK, US who must be dealing drugs etc..if you do not want problems why wast your time in Roppongi?? You just want to get drunk, find "love" there?? The bars know this, the discos know this, so a sucker is born every minute! Surprise? Not me! Never go out drinking with your CREDIT CARDS on you!! Them Chinese girls know how to tease and $$$$$, you fill up their bank accounts!
nath
Why is everyone going on about Roppongi? This happened in Kabukicho. To me the talking point is the ill-informed and offensive kanguage of some posters, not that some fool(s) got taken for a ride in a hostess bar in Kabukicho.
Lilic
Wait a minute, since when is tha't ''NEW s"? Roppongi and kabukicho are the same place for scam's since ever!
JoeBigs
If you go into a Nigerian bar in Tokyo you are on your own, sink or swim.
I am just shocked that this didn't happen in Rippongi......
Harry_Gatto
It is if you use common sense.
Mirai Hayashi
I guess the Nigerian prince scam wasn't cuttin it anymore.
hokkaidoguy
As of this moment, 20 people gave that a thumbs up. Usually far-right commentary gets downvoted to oblivion. Funny, that.
Gaijin Desi
Nothing new in it and this is not the first case as well. My friend was duped with JPY 325 000 for 6 drinks in a similar hostess bar. Initially I didn't believe him, then I saw movie Outrage and I understand the matter and now after this news its confirm. Better keep cash only (no credit card, cash card) while roaming or planning something in Kabukicho (quite a popular place in Hollywood movies shot in Tokyo, where they includes at least one shot of Kabukicho) . Do ask all the term and conditions before entering any premises and think about your budget.
Get Real
Well said, Hokkaidoguy. Scary how many subscribe to this casual racism.
Serrano
"Police didn’t say how the suspects were able to ascertain the victim’s PIN number."
That's easy - the victim told it to them.
choiwaruoyaji
The fact is there are a lot of Nigerian scammers.
Even Nigerian people have said that to me.
Alphaape
I received an NCIS brief on this type of activity in Tokyo. A lot of sailors, especially the ones from ships not homeported here inJapan but who make stops get ripped off by these types of scams. It amazes me that the police know what's going on (according to NCIS) but do nothing. But a druken sailor takes a whiz on someone's property, the law will be out in force.
I agree somewhat. Not all refugees are bad, but a lot are. I think it is time for the people in those communities to start reigning in on some of their bad apples, and cooperating with authorities to weed out the bad ones. It would be nice and ideall to assume that all people are "good" but in reality they are not. DIrtbags leave their countries and spread out to do the same thing in other places. Time for them to be stopped.
Meguroman
The rest of Africa often bashes Nigerians as scammers, too. Get a taste when you watch the sci-fi film "District 9", made in South Africa by the way. I`ve lived in Nigeria and have stories that would make you laugh until you cough-up your matcha latte and others that would truly shock you.
Alphaape
I did not suggest you punish groups, but if people from a certain group are committing crimes, then those memebers of that group need to be punished. If you read the article closely, it only states that the bar owner is Nigerian. I am going to say that the hostesses were not but were either Japanese or from another country. I am leaning towards more that they were Japanese because the article didn't mention where the hostesses were from.
But, not all Japanese hostesses are ripping off customers, and I am not saying that all of them need to be thrown in jail. Just the specific ones that do. Just like in this case, the specific ones from foreign countries that are in Japan and other countries that are not their home countries need to be deported. Native citizens can be jailed when they do crimes, and they have a right to be in their own land to do bad. But foreigners, no matter what country you are from or where you are foreign to, have no right to disrupt the society that they are in. Nothing racist about that.
iskysong
Don't even know why all these Nigerians, Somalians, etc etc are even allowed in this country. They basically destroyed their own countries and now they bring all their BS here. I have no problem against hardworking people who immigrate. But lazy a** people who just take advantage of the system should be shipped back to their own countries.
I agreed with The Chronic comments, I am equally shock why some Nigerians, Somalians are allowed to stay and work in this country. They are Masters of scams, not small scams but international scams to be precise.
Even in their own country, they will send international emails to unsuspected victims to scam their money, not to mention when they go to other countries. For instance, they started with those scams such as "black money", etc. Why there still so many countries allowed these people to enter and stay permanently, in the name of being equal opportunity! What a stupid policy to admit Nigerians or others like them to this country.
Good luck Japan!
isoducky
Reading through the comments, one thing has become obvious The Black Tax is alive and well in Japan. For whatever the Nigerian owner did, he had 3 Japanese Hostesses helping him. Everyone is willing to hang the Nigerian, but what about the women, you know the cute face that says 'it's ok you're out of money lets go to the ATM'. And since we're on the topic of nationality/ethnicity, let's be clear, most crimes committed by foreigners in Japan are from countries residing in South East Asia (This means China, Korea, The Philippines, etc) followed by Eastern Europe (Russia and the former Soviet bloc). This is mainly based on proximity along with the support of Japanese organized crime. What I'm getting at, unless your Japanese, you have no say on who gets into country and if you want to really eliminate crime based on nationality you're starting in the wrong place.
Alphaape
@isoducky: I made it a point to bring out the fact that the hostesses are probably Japanese. The reason I came to that conclusion is that if there are foreigners involved, and they bring out the nationality of one party and not that of others, it is likely that the other involved parties are "Japanese."
I don't think that it is a Black Tax as you say against all people of color, but it would be obvious that those guys who do stand outside of these clubs and try to lure people into them and unfortunately those who work in many of them are probably suspect. Most Japanese while they may go to hostess bars and it is part of the culture to a degree, still look down on those who work there, even if they are Japanese.
The fact that in most cases, those guys like this one are up to no good yet they still get away with it is what gets my dander up, and I think more should be done to rid this country of scumbags who prey on people.
tokyobakayaro
Very strange coincidence: in yesterday's (sep. 2) JapanTimes newspaper there was a feature article about the rise and fall of one those nigerians bar owners. Very interesting and well documented:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/09/02/issues/tin-mans-throne-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-roppongi-royal/#.UiUufT_pjap
Be warned it is quite long but worth reading.
davestrousers
The negative comments all refer to a nationality, Nigerian, rather than a skin colour. Indeed many of the Nigerians over here claim to be Americans to avoid being stereotyped.
otumfuo
I read a lot of ignorance about Africans here.
There are over 15,000 legal residents here.A few work in prestigious national universities as full time Professors not language tutors.Some ,including myself,have obtained our PhD's in Japan and working in large corporations.At least I can count 24 of us.The rest work mostly in Factories not depending on some wasteful Government program or handouts.
The numbers you see in Roppongi and such places don't add up to a 500.Meaning they represent less than 5% of Africans here.
Let me give a deep details of what happens in Roppongi etc.The Managers in those crazy bars are mostly Europeans and a few Japanese.The hostesses are mostly Europeans with a few Japanese.
The one who spikes your drink is the hostess who gets a 30% of the deal,the one who works on the credit card (the manager) gets 20%.Then, the 50% is shared between the owner and the mafia behind who are Japanese.
With all the Yakuza bosses and the police around the corner,have you asked yourself why those things go on?It is easy for you to blame the blacks there due to your prejudice and racism.
These Nigerians you are all bashing,go to the Japanese Govt website .They did a highlight on a Nigerian running a real manufacturing company with both Japanese and foreign staff.I personally know 4 Nigerians with 4 factories in Saitama.
A reasonable comment wont do you no harm.
genjuro
@tokyobakayaro Thanks for the link. The story gives a good insight into those Nigerian-owned Roppongi bars and some historical background on the scene as well. Long but very informative read.
Triumvere
The African touts are really, really easy to hate. They make attempting to walk down a street in Kabukicho or the like an extraordinary unpleasant experience. None of this excuses racism, of course. But I'm hardly surprised at the response.
gnikkx
i have been a victim of such. they cleaned my bank account which led me to not being able to pay a cab ride while intoxicated which led to some serious shit... what are the chances that i can go after the owners and file something as a "proximal" cause to what happened to me.