Suspicious package at US air base in Japan: Suspect caught but questions remain

A suspicious package was found at a US air base this week. In a statement issued by officials at the Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Tokyo, Japan, it was revealed that a suspect carrying a suspicious package entered the facilities, which prompted a temporary lockdown and investigation.

Suspicious package US air base

A person with a suspicious package, who broke in a US air base has been arrested, but for some unknown reason, authorities are refusing to reveal their identity nor give any details about the “suspicious package.”

According to Col. Douglas C. DeLaMater, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, on Saturday at around 5 PM, an individual with a suspicious package entered Yokota Air Base. The commander issued a brief statement on the matter, (it is not clear why, but the statement has since been deleted from Yokota Air Base official’s website.)

Yokota Air Base is a United States Air Force base located in the city of Fussa, in Western Tokyo, Japan. The suspect was rapidly apprehended, but officials issued an “all-clear and lift the shelter-in-place order” at 8:50 PM, according to DeLaMater. He explained:

“Security Forces personnel have since secured the scene and an investigation is ongoing.”

The base had its gates closed, and 14,000 personnel were ordered to stay put between when the suspect got into the base around 5 p.m. and when the all-clear went out. Col. DeLaMater added:

“Ensuring the safety and security of Team Yokota is always our top priority. Our security forces’ professionalism and immediate response to this potential threat was outstanding.”

The host unit at Yokota is the 374th Airlift Wing, which includes four groups: operations, mission support, maintenance and medical, is currently used for airlift missions throughout East Asia. Many people have taken to social media to ask why was a suspicious package found at a US air base and the authorities are not giving any details on the matter. Is the suspect a crazy man or woman or was it a terrorist planning havoc on American army personnel?

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