TOKYO (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a man employed by major general trading company Sumitomo Corporation for illegally entering the U.S. Naval Base Yokosuka.
According to police, Yoshitaka Mizuno, 45, also stayed at a hotel on the base for around two weeks, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (Feb. 19).
On October 23 last year, he suspected of using a fake identification card to enter the U.S. Naval Base Yokosuka and rent a car.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Special Criminal Law relating to the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement on Thursday, Mizuno stated that he “admired the U.S. military and wanted to have even a little contact with them.”
According to police, the fake I.D. claimed he was a U.S. Army sergeant. He also stayed at a hotel on the base for several days.
Mizuno is a Sumitomo Corporation employee residing in the United Arab Emirates and stationed in Iraq. He also has a residence in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
Police believe Mizuno used a similar method to enter and exit U.S. military facilities in Kanagawa Prefecture, such as Yokosuka Air Base and Atsugi Air Base, multiple times in the past.
Police are currently investigating how he obtained the fake identification card.
The special law prohibits entry into U.S. military facilities with restricted access. To enter a base, one normally needs to use an I.D. card issued by the U.S. military, or obtain prior permission and be escorted by a U.S. military personnel.
