(Global Times): The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Friday issued a new security advisory following media reports that a Chinese national was attacked with tear gas near Tokyo’s Ueno area on Thursday night, with suitcases belonging to the victim and four companions, containing 420 million yen ($2.73 million) in cash, were robbed.
The suspects remain at large, prompting the embassy to again urge Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan in the near term.According to a statement released on the embassy’s official WeChat account, it reminded Chinese nationals currently in Japan to closely monitor local public security conditions, raise safety awareness and strengthen self-protection.
In emergency situations, they were advised to report to the police immediately and contact Chinese diplomatic missions in Japan for assistance.In response to the attack, the Chinese embassy has lodged representations with Japanese police, urging the Japanese side to solve the case as soon as possible and effectively protect the safety and property of Chinese citizens in Japan, according to the statement.
The latest alert follows a series of safety reminders previously issued by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Japan.
On Monday, both the ministry and the embassy advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Japan during the Spring Festival holidays, citing recent deterioration in public security, a rise in criminal cases targeting Chinese nationals, and ongoing seismic activity in some regions that has caused injuries.
According to Kyodo News, five people — two Chinese nationals and three Japanese — were robbed by a group of three assailants on a street in Higashi-Ueno, Taito Ward, Tokyo, on Thursday night.
Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department said the stolen suitcases contained a total of 420 million yen ($2.73 million) in cash. Several hours later, police received an emergency call reporting that a man at a parking lot at Haneda Airport had been sprayed with tear gas while carrying a suitcase containing 190 million yen.
No items were stolen in that incident. In both cases, the three suspects fled the scene, and police are investigating the incidents on suspicion of robbery, believing they may be connected, Kyodo News reported. Among the victims, a Chinese man in his 40s said he was sprayed with what appeared to be tear gas, after which three suitcases loaded into a passenger vehicle were stolen.
Around the same time, a car was seen fleeing after hitting a man in his 50s nearby, leading police to suspect the suspects committed a hit-and-run after the robbery, according to Kyodo News. A local woman in her 50s living near the scene told Kyodo News that the Okachimachi area is known as a jewelry district and has seen robbery cases in the past. It’s frightening that such an incident has happened, she said.
