As a result, every Israeli who arrives in Japan is regarded as a
suspect and goes through a detailed interrogation.

Y-Net News
Saturday, March 5, 2005

Japan fears growing Israeli crime

Israeli consul in Tokyo says 30 Israelis detained in Japan, promise of
earning quick buck is bogus

By Iris Jorlet

TOKYO - Israeli involvement in criminal activity in East Asian
countries is causing serious damage to the country's image and could
also threaten national security, Israeli consul in Tokyo Moshe Harel
told Ynet.

Some 30 Israelis are currently being held in Japanese prisons for
various offenses, and a growing number of Israelis are involved in
drug trafficking and selling forged passports in the country. Just two
months ago two Iranians were caught with fake Israeli passports.

According to Harel, this growing trend has increased Japanese
authorities' fear of Israeli-initiated crime in the country, which in
turn is making it harder for Israelis to enter Japan.

As a result, every Israeli who arrives in Japan is regarded as a
suspect and goes through a detailed interrogation.

The passport trade phenomenon is not new to the Far East. This is
mainly connected to the fact that many Israelis who remain in the
country after their tourist visa expires report that their passport
has been lost, whereby they receive a temporary document which they
use to obtain an extended tourist visa.

Eight Israelis are currently being held or awaiting trial for
drug-trafficking offenses, while some 20 others are being detained for
offenses related to the illegal selling of paintings, gifts, or
clothes out of street-market stalls -- offenses that could bring a
prison sentence of up to 4 years.

Harel said some stall owners also lure innocent Israelis to perform
illicit errands for them. "Stall owners receive their goods by mail
from Israel, Amsterdam, or India," he said. "Occasionally, those who
pick up the packages are not aware of their content. Japanese customs
personnel sometimes manage to detect packages containing illegal goods
beforehand, and then arrest those who come to pick them up."

Harel said the profit margin for drug trafficking in Japan is
considerable, as 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of Marijuana, which costs a
few hundred shekels in Israel, can be sold for thousands of dollars in
Tokyo.

"Apart from issuing warnings, we at the embassy cannot do anything
until an Israeli is arrested," he said. "Then we try to assist, but in
any case we cannot interfere in the legal process."

Harel said many young Israelis are tempted to travel to Japan by
deceitful advertisements in Israeli newspapers that promise an
opportunity to earn a quick buck.

"In practice, these innocent people (who come to Japan) work 12 hours
a day, 30 days a month, and earn only USD 1,000 monthly after
deducting the high living expenses in Japan," he said. "After they get
in trouble, their families pay thousands of dollars to come to Japan
and hire a local attorney."
--
Freedom of speech involves the right to think the unthinkable,
mention the unmentionable, and challenge the unchallengeable.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

As a result, every Israeli who arrives in Japan is regarded as a
suspect and goes through a detailed interrogation.