Deported S Korean woman fools fingerprinting system at airport

Friday 02nd January, 06:12 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 28 Total Comments Show All

Statistician at 11:39 AM JST - 2nd January

How many terrorists did the new 'anti-terrorist' system catch this year?
The_Pope at 11:47 AM JST - 2nd January

The system was designed by NEC; they are running video advertisements on other news sites trumpeting their facial recognition systems at Osaka Disneyland--if its anything like the system at Narita, there is probably long lines of frustrated people. Over 50% of the time, I was told to go through the Airline Crew line since the system was not functioning. Now they are asking if I want a re-entry stamp -- maybe its because I fill up my passport in less than two years, but in September I took a flight from Chubu Airport and got stopped at Immigration since I did not have a re-entry stamp for a business trip I took in July. I was detained for 20 minutes while they verified that Narita now asks certain residents if they want a re-entry stamp. Now I always say "yes."
smithinjapan at 12:14 PM JST - 2nd January

"The Justice Ministry said it will look into whether such special tape can get by a fingerprint reader."

Ummm... evidently there's no need to 'look into whether it can happen' because it happened.
ichinensei at 12:42 PM JST - 2nd January

this is a waste of money. All they are deporting and catching are sex workers, illegal immigrants from poor countries (probably also for sex work) and some from African countries. Terrorists? I dont think so.. i think the govt just had to say that.. because if they had said something else, they would have been laughed at
bakabaka at 12:56 PM JST - 2nd January

The government would dearly like to fingerprint all their own citizens. Doing it to foreigners and screaming "terrorism" is just the first step to make it acceptable to the J-citizens who quite rightly don't want to be fingerprinted.
gorman at 01:59 PM JST - 2nd January

I agree that these so-called security systems are fairly useless for protecting us against determined criminals and terrorists. They only serve to inconvenience ordinary people. Most of the developed countries like UK, USA, Australia are implementing sophisticated biometric passports and various security measures at huge expense to individual travellers and taxpayers. It's obviously a lucrative business that benefit top politicians and businessmen. Of course as everyone already knows, terrorists don't really need passports and career criminals don't come in the front door using international airports. Like, the UK, USA and Australia, Japan has a huge coastline, impossible to police. A seaplane is all that's needed to enter Japan - no passport required. And if that's likely to be picked up by radar (only if you fly fairly high in the sky) you can always come in on a fishing boat. I never saw any passport control along the coast of Aomori last time I was there (no, not in my fishing boat I might add)! Bakabaka is spot on: governments use the excuse of terrorism to control their own people by developing massive databases. The UK has a Children's Database that keeps track of every incident in their lives - for their own protection it is claimed. And what is to become of the data when the child turns 18...?
anshin at 02:32 PM JST - 2nd January

The Justice Ministry said it will look into whether such special tape can get by a fingerprint reader. Well DUH, the answer is quite clear.
DirtyOldJoe at 03:03 PM JST - 2nd January

correct me if I'm wrong, but all terrorism that happened in Japan has been home grown?
soldave at 04:04 PM JST - 2nd January

DirtyOldJoe - you're not wrong. I wonder how many terrorists have been stopped from entering since this scheme has come into action. Maybe the government could enlighten us all.
Athletes at 04:17 PM JST - 2nd January

Finger print screening at airport is no longer reliable. May be using Foot print will be better. Japan has to concern about the terrorists & influx of illegal immigrants for work. Security should be tighten for safety & national interest.If someone think it is a racism, he or she is out of touch. Japan has other non Japanese natives live in Hokkaido & Okinawa harmoniously. Japan is not only for descendents of Sun Goddess. All lawful immigrants are welcomed.
bakabaka at 10:16 PM JST - 2nd January

Athletes..... there has been exactly 0% of terrorism in Japan by any foreign terrorists. Descendents of the Sun Goddess have committed ALL the terrorism. Who will work in the Japanese sex industry, one of the biggest in the world, if not for illegal immigrants from Asia? I am a legal immigrant, and I do not feel welcome as I must give my fingerprints every time I enter. No other country does this to residents, only to visitors.
azagnoraw at 11:03 PM JST - 2nd January

What if this personal data comes into wrong hands and we get accused for something we haven´t done and they will use the finger print as "evidence" This system is outrageous. Especially when the Japanese government said it was to stop terrorists! Knowing the fact that all terrorism in Japan have been home grown how can Japan stop terrorism by finger printing non Japanese at airports?
some14some at 12:02 AM JST - 3rd January

It must be techie not korean woman who fooled fingerprinting system, try catch him, must be a local guy/company.
likeitis at 03:57 PM JST - 3rd January

Of the total refused entry, 297 were South Koreans, 155 Filipinos and 90 Chinese. Some carried other people’s passports.

Comes to 542 people. So of the 846, that leaves 304 unaccounted for. I wonder where the other 36 percent came from, as if 1/3 is a small fraction!

Apparently 0 percent were terrorists. I guess its time to scrap the system because it is obviously a total failure as concerns the goals this supposed democracy was informed of.
Eizenhauer at 05:40 PM JST - 3rd January

Fingerprinting is an excellent way to reduce illegal entries in Japan and thus reduce crimes. Illegals in Japan (and in Canada too) are responsible for about 65% of all crimes which include home intrusions, murders, baby raping, drugs and sex. So why would we complain against fingerprinting if we aren't criminals? Please fingerprint us all and take our DNA samples as well in order to reduce crime if possible...