Four men from the United States and Britain contracted for the Olympics were arrested in Tokyo on drug related charges, according to officials.
Tokyo police said Tuesday that the men were apprehended July 3-5 on suspicion of cocaine use in and near the city, which is a violation of drug laws in the area, the Associated Press reported.
Tokyo-based Aggreko Events Services Japan, the electrical services company that the four men worked for, said in a statement that they apologize for the trouble caused. The company said it is cooperating with the investigation and will follow the rules.
The four men arrived in Japan between February and May and were residing in Tokyo, according to NHK public television.
They were reportedly drinking at a bar in Roppongi, Tokyo’s entertainment district, where one of them was alleged to have intruded into an apartment complex, which prompted questioning from police, as well as arrests. The four men denied allegations from the police, but they all tested positive for cocaine, NHK reported.
Japan’s drug laws are strict, with arrests for any quantity of drug possession being very common, according to the South China Morning Post.
The International Olympic Committee spoke of the arrests, calling them “an individual issue and a question for the local justice authorities”.
The incident occurred ahead of a state of emergency, which took effect Monday in Tokyo, that looked to curtail the public's alcohol consumption while the Olympics take place. Bars and other alcohol providers were asked to close or end alcohol sales for six weeks.
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