OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two men, including a university student, for allegedly beating a man with a baton and robbing him of nearly 5.6 million yen in cash during a botched drug deal arranged on social media, reports the Asahi Shimbun (July 7).
The incident occurred on a street in Osaka’s Miyakojima Ward at around 11:10 p.m. on June 13. According to the First Investigation Division, the suspects allegedly placed the 24-year-old victim in a chokehold, tackled him to the ground, and violently beat his head and legs with a baton-like object. They then snatched his bag containing approximately 5.55 million yen before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
The victim, a resident of Yokohama, suffered severe injuries in the attack, including a fractured left leg, but his condition is not life-threatening.
Immediately following the attack, the victim called emergency services. He initially told responding officers that he had traveled to the location with the cash to “buy a car.” However, during subsequent questioning, the man changed his story, admitting to investigators that he had actually gone to the scene to purchase cocaine from an individual he met on a social networking site.
On July 10, police announced the arrests of a 22-year-old university student from Shijonawate City and a 30-year-old man of unknown occupation on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury. Authorities have not disclosed whether the two suspects have admitted to the charges.
The investigation remains ongoing. Based on an analysis of security camera footage, police believe several other individuals were present at the scene and are currently hunting for the remaining accomplices involved in the setup.
