Four Olympic Staff From US And UK Arrested, Suspected Of Using Cocaine

Illustration of an arrest. (Wikimedia Commons/Oregon Department of Transportation)

JAKARTA - Four electricians from the United States and Britain who came to Japan to work as support staff for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been arrested by authorities on suspicion of using cocaine, Japanese police said.

Quoting Kyodo News Tuesday, July 13, two US citizens and two British citizens were arrested between 3 - 5 July. However, the four denied the accusations directed by the security forces.

The four are understood to have entered Japan between February and May, to take part in maintenance work on an electric generator used at the Tokyo Olympic venues. They start their duties after completing a 14-day quarantine period.

On July 2, the four drank at a bar in the Roppongi District, the center of the capital from around 8pm. After leaving the bar, one of the suspects trespassed on a nearby apartment, prompting police to rush to the scene.

Examinations and drug tests conducted on the four men revealed positive for cocaine use, according to police.

Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa said at a press conference Tuesday, "If (their crimes) are proven true, it is an incident that could damage the image of the Olympics. It is unfortunate".

The four, who are suspected of using cocaine between July 3 and 4, are employees of Tokyo-based Aggreko Events Services Japan, a local subsidiary of a foreign-owned company that deals with power generators.

Separately, the company said it was fully cooperating with and supporting local police investigations. The company also confirmed that the four people had been suspended from their positions.

"We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this incident has caused the Japanese public, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee, the athletes, and the many people working to ensure the safety of the Tokyo Olympics," the company wrote in a statement.

In this regard, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers said they had issued a warning to Japan's Aggreko Events Services, urging it to ensure no similar incidents occur.

Regarding the incident, Minister Marukawa emphasized, "Non-essential travel at night will not be tolerated, even after the quarantine period ends".