thedrifter
03-17-09, 10:10 AM
State Department warning Americans to be alert at Roppongi bars and clubs
By Teri Weaver and Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, March 18, 2009
TOKYO — U.S. State Department officials have issued a security notice warning Americans to avoid certain downtown Tokyo bars and clubs after some customers said their drinks were spiked and their credit cards used.
Recently, the notice said, U.S. citizens had reported going to the businesses in Roppongi, an international district known for late-night bars and clubs. There, they were reportedly drugged and woke up to find that their credit cards had been used or stolen.
A spokesman for the Azabu Police Station of Metropolitan Police Department said Monday that he was unaware of any theft involving drugging in his jurisdiction, which covers the Azabu and Roppongi areas.
A person who recently complained of a "drugging robbery" tested positive for alcohol but no other drugs, said the spokesman, Masato Fujita.
Army and Navy military spokesmen said Monday they had received the March 13 notice from the embassy’s Regional Security Office, and their commanders had passed it down the ranks. None reported any changes to liberty policies.
The notice did not say how many people were involved in the incidents or when the incidents began. Questions about the notice, which listed 11 establishments where "U.S. citizens have reported problems," were submitted to an embassy spokeswoman but remained unanswered Monday evening.
"Unfortunately, crimes of this nature seem to be on the rise in Roppongi," the notice reads. "Crime in Roppongi is not limited to these clubs alone and we urge everyone to remain extra vigilant when enjoying the night life that Roppongi offers."
Fujita said customers should always be attentive to their belongings while at drinking establishments.
"For instance, at shot bars, where customers are asked to leave their bags and belongings in a locker, there have been some cases reported that wallets and credit cards were stolen," he said.
"In some cases, spare keys were used while in other cases, the lockers were broken," he said. "In other cases, wallets, cash or credit cards were picked from unattended bags, while bar patrons left their table, leaving their bags there."
In 2008, a total of 170 such theft cases were reported in Azabu and Roppongi, Fujita said. So far this year 20 cases have been reported in which victims were Japanese and non-Japanese, he said.
Ellie
By Teri Weaver and Chiyomi Sumida, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, March 18, 2009
TOKYO — U.S. State Department officials have issued a security notice warning Americans to avoid certain downtown Tokyo bars and clubs after some customers said their drinks were spiked and their credit cards used.
Recently, the notice said, U.S. citizens had reported going to the businesses in Roppongi, an international district known for late-night bars and clubs. There, they were reportedly drugged and woke up to find that their credit cards had been used or stolen.
A spokesman for the Azabu Police Station of Metropolitan Police Department said Monday that he was unaware of any theft involving drugging in his jurisdiction, which covers the Azabu and Roppongi areas.
A person who recently complained of a "drugging robbery" tested positive for alcohol but no other drugs, said the spokesman, Masato Fujita.
Army and Navy military spokesmen said Monday they had received the March 13 notice from the embassy’s Regional Security Office, and their commanders had passed it down the ranks. None reported any changes to liberty policies.
The notice did not say how many people were involved in the incidents or when the incidents began. Questions about the notice, which listed 11 establishments where "U.S. citizens have reported problems," were submitted to an embassy spokeswoman but remained unanswered Monday evening.
"Unfortunately, crimes of this nature seem to be on the rise in Roppongi," the notice reads. "Crime in Roppongi is not limited to these clubs alone and we urge everyone to remain extra vigilant when enjoying the night life that Roppongi offers."
Fujita said customers should always be attentive to their belongings while at drinking establishments.
"For instance, at shot bars, where customers are asked to leave their bags and belongings in a locker, there have been some cases reported that wallets and credit cards were stolen," he said.
"In some cases, spare keys were used while in other cases, the lockers were broken," he said. "In other cases, wallets, cash or credit cards were picked from unattended bags, while bar patrons left their table, leaving their bags there."
In 2008, a total of 170 such theft cases were reported in Azabu and Roppongi, Fujita said. So far this year 20 cases have been reported in which victims were Japanese and non-Japanese, he said.
Ellie