UK citizens face extradition to Japan in connection with jewellery heist

Japan is seeking the extradition of three Britons in connection with a high-profile jewellery robbery in Tokyo in 2015. The men are suspected of assaulting a security guard and stealing Y106m (£738,860) worth of jewellery.

There is no extradition treaty in place between the UK and Japan. Japan has only signed extradition treaties with the US and South Korea, and if the men were to be surrendered, it would mark the first time that Japan gained custody of a foreign suspect in the absence of any treaty of mutual cooperation.

The Japanese criminal justice system has been the subject of international scrutiny in recent weeks following the escape to Lebanon of former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn. The country’s 99 percent conviction rate has raised concerns among human rights groups, and the UN Human Rights committee has referred to the Japanese criminal justice system as ‘medieval’.

Negotiations are believed to be ongoing between UK and the Japanese authorities but the men in question are not believed to be detained in police custody.