Elite paratroopers…active duty Self-Defense Force officers “beat a woman with a Merikensack and robbed her of cash,” the whole dastardly crime.

Who are you?

Shortly after 1:00 p.m. on a weekday, the intercom in one of the apartments rang, and a female resident answered. When she opened the door, she was suddenly struck in the head with a Merikensack.

On January 18, the Yotsukaido Police Station of the Chiba Prefectural Police arrested Soichiro Furuya, 28, a resident of Hanamigawa Ward, Chiba City, on suspicion of burglary and breaking and entering. Furuya is an active duty Japan Self-Defense Force officer. He is a third-ranked sergeant in the 2nd Regular Battalion, 1st Airborne Brigade, Narashino Garrison (Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture) of the Ground Self-Defense Force.

The incident took place on the afternoon of November 14 last year. Furuya broke into an apartment in Yotsukaido City, rang the intercom of a 40-year-old unemployed woman’s room, and beat her with a Meriken sack strapped to his fist when she answered the door. The woman sustained serious head contusions. Furuya allegedly broke into her room, took about 1,100,000 yen in cash, and fled.

He is like Superman.”

Ouch! Stop! A neighbor called 110 after hearing a man and a woman struggling with each other. The police investigated and found that Furuya was the suspect. Furuya denied the crime, saying, “It’s not true.

The paratroopers to which Furuya belongs are known as “the elite of the elite” within the Self-Defense Forces. Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains.

When I was a member of the riot police, we had joint training with the Airborne Corps. The selection test for the police was very strict, and only about one person from a platoon of about 25 would be selected. You had to be a very good police officer to be able to keep up with their training. Unfortunately, I did not pass the selection test.

Airborne corps members, who also perform special missions, are required to have not only physical strength but also clear intelligence and the ability to act. They are experts in the Self-Defense Forces and have a lot of pride. They are like supermen.”

This incident was allegedly committed by an elite member of the Self-Defense Forces. Mr. Ogawa continues, “This is not a random case.

This is not a random case. They probably knew in advance that the woman was in the room during the daytime on a weekday and that there was a large amount of cash. It was most likely a premeditated crime.

It is vicious and sneaky to target a woman who is one year older and less powerful than he is. It is also very vicious and sneaky to target women who are one year older and weaker than themselves, and who have been trained by the paratroopers. I think the key to the investigation will be to find out why they needed the money and what their motive was.

General Shikinami, commander of the 2nd NCO Battalion of the 1st Airborne Corps, commented on the incident. He said, “We will fully cooperate with the police investigation and thoroughly instruct and educate our members on their duties.