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Narita, Japan - Israeli Bucherim Arrested for Drug Trafficking |
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Narita, Japan - Several Israeli youths were arrested in Japan after local authorities seized what they called "an unprecedented amount" of narcotics concealed in artifacts they were transporting in a suitcase.
An attorney for one of the detainees, Mordechai Tzibin, said the group had fallen victim to a con maneuver which had taken advantage of their naiveté and tricked them into unknowingly trafficking the drugs.
Tzibin said that while in Israel the youths were approached by a man who offered to fund their plane tickets and accommodations in Europe in exchange for "a small service." The boys were instructed to fly to Amsterdam, where they would be met by another man who was to entrust them with a suitcase containing ancient antiq seforim, which they would then transport to Japan and hand over to a third party.
Tzibin further said that excluding the man who the youths were supposed to rendezvous with in Japan, all those involved are Israelis and three are bucherim from Bnei Brak. [Y-net - VIN News]
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Read Comments (31) — Post Yours »
1
Apr 15, 2008 at 05:14 PM Anonymous Says:
The man that sent them his name is bentzy miller
2
Apr 12, 2008 at 05:50 PM Anonymous Says:
Expatriate owl posted that "Why would someone have to go to Israel to recruit a courier to take the suitcase from Amsterdam to Japan?"
Because the scumbag who did so, lives there (in a frum neighborhood). Wears black and white and lives in the heilige Yerushalayim (one of the boys is from Y-m, two from BB).
And yes, this boys are in BIG trouble. Apparently in Japan, they can be given a death penalty. If anyone knows their Hebrew names, please post them so we can do the only thing we can - DAVEN.
3
Apr 09, 2008 at 09:57 PM Anonymous Says:
as much as it is easier to be angry at the bochurim for their naivete, being stupid isn't a sin! The person who got them involved should get severely and PUBLICLY punished so that he won't get any more korbonos!!
4
Apr 07, 2008 at 11:10 AM Expatriate Owl Says:
Anonymous 11:30:
A. First of all, please re-read the final sentence of my 10:12 post:
"The notion of the 'sheltered lives' lived by yeshiva bochurim does not fully account for their predicament."
Like you (and, I suspect, every other poster thus far), I also do not know all of the facts. I would like very much to have an explanation, because the story as reported does not leave the reader with an adequate explanation.
There are several very troubling issues highlighted in my 10:12 posting, and probably lots more.
I like to think that I am not rushing to judgment. I am still vewry much open to explanation, and very receptive to additional facts, which perhaps might obviate one or more or all of the troubling issues.
B. Please cut the line about economic disadvantage! If, as you suggest, the people in Israel will do anything for money, why not just work on Shabbos? And, along these lines, I fail to see any greater propensity among Israelis than among Americans to do anything for money.
C. While I certainly hope that a credible explanation will soon be proffered which will clear the yeshiva bochurim involved, I don't think that any one who wants to make money would bet that this will occur unless there are significant odds involved.
D. Not that it really, really matters, but I have a son who is now learning in yeshiva in Yerushalayim. Perhaps he is a bit precocious, but he has had occasion to discuss some questionable "business opportunities" with me prior to getting involved with them. What I would like to know is whether these 3 yeshiva bochurim from Bnai Brak consulted with their parents before doing something as major as flying the country and trekking around the world.
Because, as my wife and I have often told our son, if you can't be frank and open with your parents about such a venture, then you probably shouldn't do it!
5
Apr 07, 2008 at 10:01 AM Anonymous Says:
How many times have you seen signs in Yeshiva for someone asking someone to take suitcase to/from Israel for them. True this is not exactly the same, but it is not so far out of the norm that a bochur could get caught up in it. Sorry, I bet the crook picked on innocent boys who fall for the "mitzvah" and "make big money" scenario...
6
Apr 07, 2008 at 03:12 AM Anonymous Says:
Unfortunately, many more bocurim will go on to do this type of crime because they read Yated and Hamodiah where this type of incident is chas veshulem never mentioned. They can't read a newspaper like the Jewish Press because there are photos of nushim R"L and they can't look at avoidah zora like the internet. etc.etc. Maybe one day they will grow up to be a potato, if they don't overdose on the way.
7
Apr 07, 2008 at 02:04 AM Zach Kessin Says:
i don't know why these boys ended up doing this, but it was a really dumb thing to do. They probably face a pretty long jail sentence in Japan now, and I would be very surprised if the jails in Japan offer kosher food.
In the real world if you break the law you can go to jail.
8
Apr 06, 2008 at 11:55 PM Anonymous Says:
Anony - April 6, 2008 11:30 PM,
You are right. It is best not judge harshly. I always try to give the benefit of the doubt.
We must protect our children and warn them about these scams.
9
Apr 06, 2008 at 11:30 PM Anonymous Says:
TO EXPATRIATE OWL:
A-IN ISRAEL THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT REALLY DO NOT HAVE MUCH MONEY SO THEY WILL DO MORE FOR THE MONEY-SOME BOYS WANT TO HAVE MONEY THAT THEIR PARENTS EITHER ARE UNABLE TO GIVE THEM OR CHOOSE NOT TO AND THEY WANT WHAT OTHERS HAVE SO THEY THINK IT IS A QUICK WAY TO GET IT. NOT TO GET IT IN AMSTERDAM WANTS TO MAKE SURE NOBODY WILL REMEMBER HIM PROBABLY KEEPS GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
B-IT IS SOOO VALUABLE NEED TO HELP PROTECT IT FROM GETTING LOST. ALSO BOYS LIKE TO DO THINGS TOGETHER MORE FUN BY YOURSELF YOU MAY WANT TO GO ON THE INTERNET OR READ A BOOK A LONER TYPE NOT SOMEONE WHO THINGS HE IS A GOOD FUTURE BIG SHOT WITH ALOT OF MONEY.
C-BOYS DO NOT KNOW ABOUT INSURED. THEY MUST OF TOLD THEM THEY NEED IT RIGHT AWAY VERY IMPORTANT MITSVAH GEDOLAH.
D-MAYBE THEY WERE TOLD KIRUV BUT PROBABLE DETOUR TO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
THEY CAN NEVER USE THE SAME PEOPLE OR PLACES OR ROUTES.
E-MAYBE ALL OF THE BOYS DID NOT KNOW ALL OF THE INFORMATION. MAYBE ONE OF THEM DID AND TOLD THE OTHER TWO JUST COME FOR THE RIDE I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR A FAMILY MEMBER OR JUST COME ALONG WITH ME NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. SOME PEOPLE WANT TO FIT IN SO THEY WILL DO ANYTHING NOT TO SAY NO.
PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE ANYONE
WHO REALLY KNOWS
I CAN SAY I DON'T
WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU SO SURE YOUR KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?
10
Apr 06, 2008 at 10:12 PM Expatriate Owl Says:
Let me get this straight: A man IN ISRAEL offers to fund their tickets and accommodations IN EUROPE. They go to Amsterdam. To transport a suitcase containing antique seforim to JAPAN!
Imponderables:
A. Why would someone have to go to Israel to recruit a courier to take the suitcase from Amsterdam to Japan? Couldn't they have found someone in Amsterdam to do that?
B. Why were THREE people needed to accompany one suitcase?
C. Wouldn't a the shipper of antique seforim make arrangements with UPS or some other common carrier to ship the suitcase to Japan (and have it insured)? Why was it sent uninsured with these yeshiva bochurim?
D. Why would the antique seforim be sent to Japan in the first place?
E. Perhaps, maybe, a single isolated yeshiva bochur might, theoretically, be gullible in terms of the ways of business and commerce. But THREE?!?!? Wouldn't at least one of them suspected that something wasn't kosher?
The notion of the "sheltered lives" lived by yeshiva bochurim does not fully account for their predicament.
11
Apr 06, 2008 at 09:32 PM Anonymous Says:
And where were their parents or roshei hayeshiva? Didn't they tell them how they wre paying for their trip?
12
Apr 06, 2008 at 09:02 PM Anonymous Says:
Unfortunately, I do believe these boys were the victims of crooks who continue to prey on innocent frum kids, who live sheltered lives and do not realize what can happen. A few years ago, my son was approached by some people to bring in a suitcase. He was promised $5000.00 and innocently asked us what kind of suitcase could have such value? We can only be thankful that Hakodosh Boruch Hu was matzil him from the same type of scenario!!! And, he is not your innocent gullible type, but the promises and lure seem so good, that they get blinded and do not realize what hey are getting into.
13
Apr 06, 2008 at 08:49 PM Anonymous Says:
BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THERE ARE BOYS OUT THERE THAT STILL TRUST. WHICH IS A GOOD THING. YOU KNOW THAT MEANS THEY THINK OF THE WORLD AS A GOOD SAFE PLACE TO BE IN. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THIS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE. SOMETIMES SOME OF THEM ARE LUCKY AND THEY DO NOT GET CAUGHT THE FIRST TIME AND SO THEY RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS WHO MAY OF COURSE GET CAUGHT. THE WORLD IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE IN BUT WE NEED TO PRAY TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ONLY GOOD PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEIR FELLOW JEW MORE THEN THE GREEN BUCKS.
14
Apr 06, 2008 at 08:24 PM Anonymous Says:
Ein chodosh Tachas hasemesh! this has unfortunatly happend before and this mistake quote on quote
will happen again untill we teach our kids that money is not everything!
15
Apr 06, 2008 at 08:08 PM Anonymous Says:
I still have no further information other than reading VIN but I can believe they were victims. I do know that the commenters that are so sure they are guilty are cold hearted people that have never made a minor mistake.
16
Apr 06, 2008 at 07:58 PM Tzibin Says:
The boys were clearly victims of a sting. "The proof of this," he said, "is that they told their friends all about the trip."
17
Apr 06, 2008 at 07:54 PM Anonymous Says:
I agree that these boys can't be that naive. At any airport, they always ask if you have any luggage or packages given to you by someone you don't know. Living in Israel, they don't know not to accpet packages from strangers?
18
Apr 06, 2008 at 07:28 PM Anonymous Says:
This has happened so many times in the past few years i doubt very much these boys did not know what they were doing. There are nebech quite a few bochorim in jails all around the tristate area right now sitting for the same crimes, and they get up to 20 years for it. Boys it is not worth the few dollers these men are offering you the bocorim in jail are suffering and have no life. Dont destroy the rest of your life for money.
19
May 27, 2008 at 08:55 AM Anonymous Says:
whats left for us to do is pidyon sheviyim, in this case praying and asking hashem to take them out of this awful prison.
20
May 31, 2008 at 03:10 PM David Says:
Rav Steinman and Rav Wosner are spearheading a campaign ( magbit ) to raise money for their legal costs. According to the publication raising money, they are being held in terrible conditions, having to sit on the floor all day , are provided only two breaks for their personal needs, have no access to their religious artifacts, at Pesach were given 1 matzo per day. Please daven and contribute for their early release.
21
Jun 06, 2008 at 01:37 PM anonymous Says:
taken from a pulbic website
http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17023
What life's like in a Japanese Prison
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terrance David Sheard - Released from a Japanese Prison
On Wednesday, 21 September 2005, Foreign Prisoner Support Services was contacted by US Citizen, Terrance David Sheard, recently released from a Japanese prison. Terrance has kindly written the following account of his ordeal in the hope that he may highlight the suffering of those he left behind.
“I want to tell my story because I promised my mates back in the Fuchu hellhole [Japan Prison] that I would try to expose the abuses and cruel treatment experienced daily by all Fuchu inmates. Can you [FPSS] please help me? I owe it to all those who are suffering under the draconian prison system in Japan to tell my story!” Terrance wrote.
My name is Terrance. I've just been released from prison in Japan. I was arrested in June 2002 in the Narita International Airport by Japanese customs officials as I tried to enter Japan. I had 1 kilo of hashish in my possession and I was convicted for violating the cannabis control laws of Japan. For my crime I was sentenced to 5 years forced labor and sent to Fuchu prison in Tokyo. I had no idea how hard and lonely the next few years of my life were going to be.
Life in Japanese prison is very hard. Like the Nazi prison camps of WWII. Work is the main focus. The prison population is used as slave labor. The food you receive is barely enough to keep you alive. It consists of rice and soup. There is very little exercise except in the summer only twice a week for 30 minutes. During the winter they allow exercise for 3 times a week but they cut one of the 3 x 15 minute bathing periods. So during the winter there are only 2 x 15 minute baths. There is no heating or air conditioning in the prison. There are many cases of frostbite in the winter, heatstroke, and heat exhaustion in the summer. God forbid if you get sick and need medical attention. In order to see a doctor, or receive medicine a prisoner must fill out a form and wait for days. Generally, you will not be allowed to see the doctor unless you have a dire emergency. Tuberculosis is prevalent and there are many skin diseases due to the poor sanitation in the shower facilities. These are everyday realities in a Japanese prison.
Quote:
Day One
On the first day of my arrival I was thrown into a filthy solitary cell and given a rulebook to read. The rulebook consisted of hundreds of rules for living in the prison. I was kept in this cell for three weeks and forced to perform menial labour, consisting of smoothing out the wrinkles in hundreds of aluminium cupcake doilies. Once I had finished smoothing out the entire carton the guard came to inspect my work. He reached into the box containing all the smoothed out doilies and crushed them all up again. I was told that I would have to do them over. After 3 weeks of solitary I was told that I would be starting to work in a training factory. During this training period you are shown how you will do everything in the correct manner. It was like a boot camp for Nazis. They have rules for how to walk, how to use the toilet, how to sit, how to place things in your cell, etc. etc. We were being systematically turned into automatons. Everything was drilled repeatedly into our heads. If we made mistakes during the training we were pushed around and screamed at. On two occasions I witnessed prisoners who were beaten for their failure to cooperate. I personally experienced a physical beating and strangulation to the point of unconsciousness at the hands of no less than eight guards after only being in the prison for three months.
The reason for this beating was because I was not marching properly. I was singled out by the Factory boss for my offence and told to stand in the corner with my nose to the wall. After I refused this order the boss pushed his secret panic button, and the goon squad rushed into the factory and smashed me to the ground, beating and kicking me for extra measure. One of the goons grabbed my collar from behind and twisted it until my air supply was effectively cut off. Upon regaining consciousness, I found myself in the presence of the foreign prisoner's chief. He informed me that I would be placed in solitary confinement for a while until the prison authorities could decide what to do with me.
Back to solitary Japanese style.
The cell I was placed in this time had the window blocked and wreaked of piss. The walls were mouldy and the floor surrounding the toilet was too. There were lots of bugs to keep me company. Everything was taken out of the cell except for a filthy mattress. It was explained to me that I would have to sit in the middle of my cell and face my door all day long [from 7:30am-5:00pm]. I was told to keep my hands on my lap and not to move. That was my existence for an entire month! The little bit of rice and soup I had previously received, my daily allotment, was cut in half. If I wanted to use the toilet, I had to wait until the guard gave the signal twice daily. No exercise and 1 x 15minute shower every ten days! I was caught on several occasions exercising in my cell and time was added to my solitary confinement. After about 40 days, I was taken out of solitary and placed back in a factory to work.
After my stint in solitary I figured that I wouldn’t have anymore trouble. Boy, was I WRONG! You see, I had been labelled a troublemaker by the guards, and I was continually being singled out for crazy infractions in the factory and in my cell. Not marching properly, improper sitting position while working, looking out the window, not bowing properly, washing my face in my cell...the list goes on and on. The rules are so numerous that you cannot possibly remember them all. But when you are labelled a "troublemaker", like I was, the rules don't matter anymore. The guards and factory bosses can use their discretion to bend and break the rules as they see fit. Well, it wasn’t long before I'd had enough of the harassment. One guard in particular, named Chiba, was trying to make my life a living hell. Everyday he would come into the factory and do his best to break me down. It wasn’t long before I was back in solitary for another month. At least I didn’t have to take any more crap from Chiba for awhile.
During my second stay in solitary, someone down the hall from my cell tried to commit suicide by punching the glass in his window and using a piece to slash his throat. The guards tried to prevent everyone from looking out the cell door window, but I managed to see them carrying the poor fellow bleeding profusely from his neck before one of the guards began shouting at me to get back into my position on the floor. I still don’t know if that guy died.
So many thoughts ran through my head while sitting motionless for hours on end. Never before in my life had I been caged and cut off from the world. I wondered what my wife and son were doing. My boy was only 6 months old when I was arrested and he was growing up without his father. While in solitary your monthly 15-minute visit behind a glass partition is not allowed, so I was not able to see my wife and son during the months that I was punished. I was not allowed to write my one monthly 7-page letter either. No communication with anyone whatsoever!
As I gazed at the stains on the wall, I thought about my travels in the past and surfing adventures, the feeling of the ocean. I always wondered what all of my family and friends were doing. So many times I would think of real food; a bar of chocolate, a cup of coffee. It is so strange all of the fleeting thoughts and visions that popped into my head. Many times, I wondered if I was strong enough to make it through the nuts I was now facing. I made a vow to myself that I would get through this, and that suicide would never be an option for me. Prior to being in prison, I had lived in a Buddhist Monastery in Thailand for a few weeks. I learned many things from the monks during my stay. The knowledge I gained there was instrumental in my being able to deal with the suffering I experienced in prison. I practiced meditation daily. In this prison, I learned much about survival in the face of adversity. I was determined not to give up hope.
I ended up being thrown into solitary confinement five times during my stay in Fuchu. On March 25th 2005, I was lucky enough to be transferred to an American Federal Prison to finish serving my sentence.
I am only the 2nd American to be transferred out of Japan. Apparently, the Japanese prison authorities know that we will receive better treatment in American prisons, so they are making foreigners serve at least 50% of our sentences in Japan before they will agree to let us transfer.
When I arrived at the federal detention center in Los Angeles, I felt like I had died and gone to Disneyland. The difference in the two prison systems is incredible! The treatment I received in the American prison was humane and tolerable. The Japanese system lacks any trace of humanity. I believe that Japan needs to change many things about their prison system. Japan is one of the leading high-tech societies in the world, yet the prison system is a reflection of a draconian medieval society. The prisons operate under a veil of secrecy and silence that needs to be lifted. The truth needs to be known. That is why I am writing this article. Even though I am free today there are many people who are suffering daily in Japanese prisons. Yes, I was guilty of my crime, but I feel that nobody deserves to be tortured, abused, thrown away, and isolated from everything in a living hell.
Terrance David Sheard
Los Angeles [USA]
22
Jun 11, 2008 at 06:10 PM Anonymous Says:
i just dont get it
23
Jul 18, 2008 at 02:42 AM Anonymous Says:
I heard that these boys KNEW they were smuggling antiques or artifacts,meaning , no matter what, they were doing something illegal, or taking in something illegall And if it was 'seforim' , WHY take it to japan of all places?! PLEASE, it does not take that much seichel to realize that something was strange, wasn't right,AND , where where these boys parents?
If anyone remembers , some american expatriates teenage kids [goyim' got arrested several years ago , in japan or hong king ,for graffiti i think and were ordered ro be flogged .Now, if these boys had any doubts at all that what they were doing WAS a bit strange, CERTAINLY by the route they were to take and getting paid ,travel and all,, someone should have reminded them , about the legal system and extreme punishments ordered ,in relavance to the crime . In any case, they could not have been all that innocent if they were arrested . No one gets arrested for nothing ! Maybe it was something else they did or do , that is in relation to yiddishkeit , and this is Hashem's wake up call to them. Better now when they are young , than later when they have a family.
their dtiry was written up in the english hamodia as well as the mihpahcah. it was also mentioned that the chinese diet ,as far as rice and fish goes [no other dishes] are pretty natural, and that fish was prepared for the boys seperatly in silverfoil. in addition, if it can be arrangedd and the authorities allowed it , they could always be sent labriute meals.these meals have a shelf life of 2 years and have a self heating element [certain combination of salt and water mixed with other ingredients . it heats up piping hot in 14 mnutes ,without fire or anyting, albeight,one cannot 'heat it up' so to speak on shabbos.
24
Jul 18, 2008 at 02:49 AM Anonymous Says:
the american expats were released after much pressure form the u.s. state ept. or the like, but that was for GRAFFITTI! and these boys at the very least were SMUGGLING jewish-antique artifacts[since they say they were oblivious to the secret suprise package of drugs].just HOW could one hide narcotics in seforim? in the binding? something somewhere is MORE than just not kosher, bit rather treif. I am sure that not all the real details have been revealed to the public,things are being left out or covered up.
25
Sep 10, 2008 at 06:55 AM avrom Says:
" IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME...
DON'T DO THE CRIME." !
26
Jan 08, 2009 at 02:50 PM Anonymous Says:
here are the names of the boys; they are in trouble whatever their level of guilt might or might not be. Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la'zeh.
Please daven for all three bochurim and especially Yaakov Yosef Ben Raizel who is being tortured (with electric shocks and dunking his head repeatedly in water).
The other names are Yoel Zeev Ben Mirel Risa Chava and Yosef ben Yitta Rivka.
Please forward this to as many people as you can.
27
Jan 14, 2009 at 02:15 AM Anonymous Says:
“ here are the names of the boys; they are in trouble whatever their level of guilt might or might not be. Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la'zeh.
Please daven for all three bochurim and especially Yaakov Yosef Ben Raizel who is being tortured (with electric shocks and dunking his head repeatedly in water).
The other names are Yoel Zeev Ben Mirel Risa Chava and Yosef ben Yitta Rivka.
Please forward this to as many people as you can. ”
thank you for the info - R"L!!! HASH"YR!!!
28
Jan 14, 2009 at 02:13 AM Anonymous Says:
“
" IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME...
DON'T DO THE CRIME." ! ”
R' avrom , perhpas you are not aware; as many others seems not to be, that the mashgiach R' M. Salomon SHLIT"A of Lakewood gave a hoskama to donate for the payment of the lawyers. Certainly the mashgiach looked into whatever anyone here could think of and more. YSH"K
29
Jan 16, 2009 at 05:54 AM Anonymous Says:
“ here are the names of the boys; they are in trouble whatever their level of guilt might or might not be. Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la'zeh.
Please daven for all three bochurim and especially Yaakov Yosef Ben Raizel who is being tortured (with electric shocks and dunking his head repeatedly in water).
The other names are Yoel Zeev Ben Mirel Risa Chava and Yosef ben Yitta Rivka.
Please forward this to as many people as you can. ”
This is very shocking news, would someone perhaps have a source for this information?
30
Jan 31, 2009 at 02:06 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Expatriate owl posted that "Why would someone have to go to Israel to recruit a courier to take the suitcase from Amsterdam to Japan?"
Because the scumbag who did so, lives there (in a frum neighborhood). Wears black and white and lives in the heilige Yerushalayim (one of the boys is from Y-m, two from BB).
And yes, this boys are in BIG trouble. Apparently in Japan, they can be given a death penalty. If anyone knows their Hebrew names, please post them so we can do the only thing we can - DAVEN. ”
Yoel Zev ben Merel Raisa Chava
Yaakov Yosef ben Raizel
Yosef ben Aytah Rivkah
31
Mar 25, 2009 at 10:16 PM Anonymous Says:
please people should be carefull and not take stuff from anyone even someone you know like these borchrim didnt supect him giving them drugs