The four contracted workers were arrested for alleged cocaine use. Photo: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP
Four foreign workers for the Tokyo Olympics were arrested for allegedly using cocaine, the Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday.The four men, two U.S. and two British citizens, are electricians hired to maintain generators at the Tokyo Games, which begin next Friday. The arrests could embarrass Olympic organizers and fuel public opposition against the games.The police said the men used the illegal drug earlier this month. They denied all charges, according to the broadcaster.The men arrived in Japan between February and May. They are employees of Aggreko Events Services, a global power provider, the company said in a statement.According to NHK, Dalton Ray Bouquet from the U.S. broke into a Tokyo apartment in the Roppongi commercial district on July 3 after a night of drinking with the other three men, who were not present when the alleged break-in took place. The police tested all four men’s urine and said they were positive for cocaine, NHK reported.In Japan, the use of illegal narcotics could result in a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. “Sentences don’t differ for foreigners and Japanese citizens, but foreigners do have to be wary of deportation,” Taiga Deguchi, a lawyer at ATOM Tokyo Law Office, told VICE World News.The organizing committee of the Tokyo Games expressed its “profound regret” and said it would issue a warning to Aggreko Events Services, according to NHK.VICE World News could not reach the men or their legal representatives.Follow Hanako Montgomery on Twitter and Instagram.
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