Brits can be extradited over Tokyo jewellery heist

Two British men accused of robbing a luxury jewellery store successful Tokyo tin beryllium sent to Japan pursuing a landmark ruling.

For astir a decade, Japanese authorities person pursued the extradition of Kaine Wright, 28, Joe Chappell, 38, and a 3rd antheral implicit allegations they posed arsenic customers to bargain items worthy £679,000 (¥106m) from a Harry Winston store.

On Friday, main magistrate Judge Goldspring rejected Wright and Chappell's challenges against extradition. Their lawsuit present passes to the location caput to determine whether they should beryllium sent to Japan.

No extradition pact exists betwixt the UK and Japan, meaning it would beryllium the archetypal clip Japan person successfully received fugitives.

Japan's archetypal petition was rejected, but the High Court overturned the archetypal determination pursuing an entreaty lodged by the Japanese government.

In Friday's judgement - seen by the BBC - Wright, of Plumstead, and Chappell, of Belvedere, some successful London, had raised concerns implicit situation conditions successful Japan which they argued were "arbitrary, excessive and breach planetary standards".

The Japanese authorities said the submissions were "fundamentally flawed some legally and factually".

District Judge Goldspring, main magistrate of England and Wales, recovered determination was a "prima facie case" - capable grounds to enactment a complaint astatine archetypal glimpse - against Chappell and that extradition would beryllium "compatible" with his and Wright's quality rights.

Friday's ruling follows a caller High Court judgement that the Japanese authorities had a lawsuit to extradite Wright, Chappell and a 3rd antheral named successful papers arsenic Daniel Kelly - who is Wright's father.

Japan's lawsuit against Kelly volition beryllium heard astatine the extremity of this month. He has not appeared successful erstwhile extradition hearings due to a conspiracy to execution lawsuit against him taking precedence.

Details from January's High Court judgement authorities that the Japanese "relied upon a scope of evidence" which demonstrated that Kelly, Wright and Chappell travelled to Tokyo astir the clip of the jewellery raid successful November 2015.

CCTV captured each 3 arriving astatine Narita International Airport connected 18 November 2015 and staying astatine "the Elm Share House", Japanese authorities said.

Ch Insp Suzuki acceptable retired a grounds of the probe to the High Court which indicated the trio "took taxis" to Harry Winston's subdivision successful Omotesando Hills.

In their efforts to escape, the trio near a fig of items down including an Armani jacket, helium said.

Ch Insp Suzuki added: "Goggles were near astatine the store and a overgarment was near connected the way the robbers took to fly from the scene."

A prof astatine the Tokyo Dental College compared ePassport images taken astatine Narita Airport and compared it to CCTV stills of 3 men taken astatine the Harry Winston store.

"The anticipation that 2 (or three) persons successful the applicable examination are the aforesaid is highly high," Ch Insp Suzuki said successful his report, citing the professor's "expert" findings.

As good arsenic different DNA matches, Ch Insp Suzuki's study referred to "expert grounds that solid shards recovered astatine the spot wherever the 3 stayed that matched the solid successful the show lawsuit astatine the jewellery shop".

Findings successful the reports were challenged astatine the High Court by lawyers representing Wright and Chappell.

The Japanese authorities said it would guarantee that the 3 men would person the close to consult with a lawyer successful private, person immoderate interviews recorded and person the close not to reply immoderate questions.

Wright, erstwhile a promising footballer connected the books of West Ham United and Brentford, served clip successful situation aft being convicted successful 2023 of trying to merchantability a Ming vase which was stolen from a depository successful Switzerland.

Subject to immoderate further appeals, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper present has 28 days to determine whether to extradite Chappell and Wright oregon cull Japan's request.