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| June 6, 2002 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 24,1423 |
Police send hazard truck to false alarm
SAPPORO, June 5: Nerves are running high in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo ahead of Friday’s match between Argentina and England.
On Wednesday, local police sent a special truck built to handle chemical weapons threats, to a downtown building following reports that a mysterious object had been placed by the entrance, only to find out that it was a new antenna for mobile phones.
Fire engines and ambulances also rushed to the scene which, for a moment, was filled with tension as police shouted at passers-by to stay away and sealed off the area.
The emergency vehicles left promptly after officials found out it was a false alarm.
Over 7,000 police are on duty in Sapporo, which the Japanese media has dubbed “most dangerous” of the 10 venues in Japan due to the group F clash between arch-rivals Argentina and England, whose fans have a reputation for causing trouble.
Meanwhile, Three England fans were arrested on suspicion of using counterfeit US dollars to pay their bar tab, police said.
These were the first arrests of England fans in Sapporo, some 800 kilometres north of Tokyo.—Reuters
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