Ruffians threaten Japan FamilyMart staff, then force them to kowtow

A group of ruffians entered a FamilyMart convenience store in Japan, and began consuming its products without paying for them. But what happened next is even more atrocious.

According to a report on Rocketnews24, the incident happened on Sept 8 at Ibaraki, Osaka.

Three videos of the incident have since surfaced online, sparking outrage among netizens. They were said to have been uploaded online by the thugs themselves, very shortly after the incident occurred.

An argument first ensued when a young male counter staff member warned the gang against such behaviour and demanded for them to stop.

His stern tone upset the gang, causing one man to hurl his drink at him.

Things soon escalated and a second video shows two older staff members with the same cashier in the backroom of the store.

A man with orange hair and wearing a suit can be heard making 'threatening gangster-like remarks' at the staff, such as "I'm going to get one of my boys to drive a car through this store."

All of these was filmed with the young cashier on his knees the whole time.

The third video shows the entire staff and management of the store on their knees, kowtowing to the thugs.

In Japan, this gesture is used when one wants to seek forgiveness.

During the incident, someone from the group of ruffians can be heard saying, "A proper apology shouldn't be empty-handed", implying that they want something of monetary value.

A 39-year-old man, Tsuyoshi Nakamura, was swiftly arrested in connection to the case the very next day.

Employees at the store also made a police report, along with CCTV footage of their own as evidence.

Nakamura is being investigated under suspicions of harassing and threatening staff at the store, as well as for extorting six cartons of cigarettes worth 26,700 yen (around S$316).

Netizens have praised the Osaka Prefectural Police for their swift action, and called the ruffians "a special kind of stupid" for posting evidence of their crimes online, which led to their quick arrest.

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