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crime

4 men arrested on charges of using curry spices as weapon in robbery attempt

30 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

In many societies, food is one of the first touchpoints people have with foreign cultures, and so in Japan mentions of India will almost always bring to mind thoughts of curry and other aromatic examples of Indian cuisine. So it’s both startling, and yet also sort of within imagination, that four men have been arrested on assault charges in which the weapon used was cooking spices.

At around 3:20 in the afternoon on March 14, a 52-year-old Japanese man was walking on the street in the town of Yoshikawa, Saitama Prefecture, when he was approached by a group of four Indian and Nepalese men who, according to the Saitama Prefectural Police, attempted to steal the business bag he was carrying.

Rather than brandish a knife, baseball bat, or any other of the melee weapons used by criminals in firearms-strict Japan, the attackers instead smeared powdered cooking spices “of the sort used in curry” according to reports, on the man’s face and into his eyes, in an attempt to blind and incapacitate him. The victim was able to fight back, though, hanging on to his bag and yelling loudly until the attacker gave up and fled the scene.

It was a pretty brazen plan, but the would-be robbers apparently had reason to think this could be a very big score for them. The man they attacked is the president of dispatch worker staffing services company, which one of the attackers, a 31-year-old Indian man who lives in Ibaraki Prefecture, was an employee of at the time.

On that day, the president was in Yoshikawa to make salary payments to workers dispatched by his company, and apparently makes such payments in cash, and so had roughly 7.8 million yen in cash in his bag. Investigators believe the attackers knew the man would have a substantial amount of money on him while he was in Yoshikawa, which is why they decided to make their move in the middle of the afternoon.

The victim was taken to the hospital where he received medical treatment for conjunctiva (inflammation of the eyes), but does not appear to have suffered permanent vision damage in the attack. Saitama Prefectural Police, using security camera footage, have identified and arrested the four men they believe were involved in the attack on charges of assault and attempted robbery.

Sources: Yomiuri Shimbun via Livedoor News via Jin, NHK News Web, Sankei Shimbun via Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

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-- Tokyo police arrest French man on charges of shoving, killing senior citizen in bar district

-- Woman arrested in mountains of Japan for attempted murder with bow and arrow

© SoraNews24

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

30 Comments
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approached by a group of four Indian and Nepalese men who, according to the Saitama Prefectural Police, attempted to steal the business bag he was carrying.

So for young people with curry powder were lost against one middle age guy. They really deserve some sentence!

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Jail time then deport, never to return.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

A foolish crime, and will now face serious charges, sentences, and eventual deportation.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

A foolish crime, and will now face serious charges, sentences, and eventual deportation.

After that they can as much curry they can get.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Darn. That picture is making me hungry !

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Shocking how ungrateful these garbage individuals - four Indian and one Nepalese man - were towards Japan. Giving them an opportunity they'd never have had in their troubled countries. Fortunately most of their countrymen in Japan are respectful.

Long prison sentence, then deportation.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

This happened on March 14th and we're only hearing about it now?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I wish I was a fly on the wall when these master criminals were discussing/planning this "curry robbery "

What curry to use, where to buy the curry " so as not to attract attention ", the toing and froing of the various qualities of Nepali or Indian curry.......all would be discussed in high pitched accents with not a single objector saying....."I think this is a very, very, bad idea "

4 ( +4 / -0 )

And the four men are not named why?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Not the first time someone has been 'spiced'. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4147346/Customer-46-says-BLINDED-raging-curry-chef.html

3 ( +3 / -0 )

*"The man they attacked is the president of dispatch worker staffing services company, which one of the attackers, a 31-year-old Indian man who lives in Ibaraki Prefecture,* was an employee of at the time."

Did he think he wouldn't be identified by his boss? Master criminal, that one.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Fighto!

Shocking how ungrateful these garbage individuals - four Indian and one Nepalese man...

There were four men in total.

"...he was approached by a group of four Indian and Nepalese men..."

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I wish I could of been there when they were planning this.

Let's rob this guy. He's going to have a ton of cash.

It has to be quick. It's going to be broad daylight.

OK. Let's use curry powder.

You're a genius.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

There were four men in total.

Right there in the title

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I always carry a tub of yogurt to neutralise the curry for incidents like this.

Curry robbery seems to be on the rise.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Sentence then deport. Skip the detention step and save taxpayers money.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"" and so had roughly 7.8 million yen in cash in his bag.""

ONLY a fool would do this, he had it coming.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Let them face the music, serve time and then ship them back to where they came from in a container.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Depending on how hot the curry powder is getting a face full of that could be like getting hit with pepper spray or bear spray ! They messed up though and should have used some sort of squire bottle. Good thing these thieves are dumb.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

These thugs deserve doing serious time for conspiring and committing this unforgivable act of thuggery. Is this a one off crime or will we see more of this kind of thing?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

There was a critically acclaimed Indian movie Mirch Masala in which a group of village belles defeat their oppressor who was holding them hostage by throwing chilli powder in his eyes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Steve....as I noted above, I believe curry robbery is trending upward.

Can wasabi assaults be far behind ?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Okay, I know it is pure evil , but I burst out laughing. Poor guy though and tough for hanging on!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

AlongfortherideToday 08:42 am JST

And the four men are not named why?

Not yet charged.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The name of the mastermind is Aman Sharma.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Depending on how hot the curry powder is getting a face full of that could be like getting hit with pepper spray or bear spray ! They messed up though and should have used some sort of squire bottle. Good thing these thieves are dumb.

For sure.

Tabasco original blend comes in at about 50,000 scoville units and even a drop of that is quite unpleasant to get in your eyes, but bear spray is as high as 1,000,000 scovilles.

Specially bred Carolina Reapers and Ghost Peppers can be as spicy as 2,200,000 scovilles, and workers need to wear MOPP3 level protective gear when handling them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why didn’t the victim just eat the curry? Or did the assailants just assume he didn’t like curry before planning the attack? Ridiculous.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@tamanegi Perhaps this is just a filler story for JT running out of things to report

This happened on March 14th and we're only hearing about it now?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Pathetic losers..

JAIL AND DEPORT!!..

Careful Japan with the people you let in..

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"Careful Japan with the people you let in "

Would suggest a tick a box question regarding prior convictions for curry robbery ?

That would at least keep some master curry criminal out

But where to stop?

A big peice of naan bread could probably suffocate you temporarily if applied to the face with force and mal intent

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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