SAITAMA (TR) – A man who fled from Saitama Prefectural Police during a search of his residence in Saitama City last week remains has surrendered, police have revealed, reports NHK (Oct. 24).
At around 7:30 a.m. on October 24, Kazuo Noguchi, 28, and an acquaintance arrived at the Kasukabe Police Station in Kasukabe City.
Police later accused Noguchi, a Chinese national, of possessing kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, at his residence in Saitama City’s Iwatsuki Ward in February.
The suspect admits to the allegations, police said.
Jumped from his balcony
At around 6:20 a.m. on October 20, officers arrived at Noguchi’s second-floor apartment in Iwatsuki Ward as a part of the stimulant drugs investigation.
After seeing the officers, the suspect jumped from his balcony. He then fled inside his vehicle, which had been parked nearby.
Noguchi was involved in a hit-and-run accident with a large truck in Koshigaya City — a distance of about 7 kilometers from his residence — at around 7:30 a.m.
About two kilometers from that location, he abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. Police then began searching for him at a nearby apartment building.
“We sincerely apologize”
When Noguchi fled, he was barefoot. However, he was wearing shoes and different clothes upon his surrender, leading police to believe that he was hiding out at his acquaintance’s house during his time on the run.
The initial investigation was being undertaken by the Iwatsuki Police Station. “We sincerely apologize for causing a high level of anxiety to local residents and other citizens of the prefecture,” said Mitsuru Yamazaki, the station’s chief.
