A 60-year-old man arrested over a four-hour hostage standoff at a home in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, is suspected of having used illegal drugs on the day of the incident, according to investigative sources.
Eiji Nagashima, of unknown address and occupation, is accused of holding a 70-year-old male resident at knifepoint inside the house in Nawa-cho on the 2nd of this month. He was arrested and sent to prosecutors on suspicion of confinement and has admitted to the charge.
Police examined Nagashima after his arrest and found reason to suspect he carried out the offense under the influence of illegal drugs, sources said. The case puts a drug angle into what had been reported as a standoff crime.
During the standoff, Nagashima asked to speak with a former Aichi Prefectural Police officer and to have a different case investigated, according to the sources. Police are looking into the circumstances behind the request.