Tokyo police detain two Turkish kebab shop employees over aggressive touting

ISTANBUL

Tokyo police detained two Turkish employees of a kebab shop on June 21 after locals filed a total of 27 complaints over the employees’ alleged aggressive approach inside the shop, according to the media outlet Tokyo Reporter.

Mehmet Isi, 24, and his unnamed 20-year-old brother are reported to have “aggressively touted” passersby in front of their kebab shop located in the city’s Roppongi neighborhood.  

According to police, the two brothers, are accused of violating Japanese law regulating entertainment businesses, the news report stated, adding that they “grabbed the arms of potential customers and blocked their paths while boasting of the deliciousness of their kebabs.” 

The shop employees reportedly said in their defense that they were not ill-willed and approached customers with courtesy. 

The report also touched on the fierce competition between kebab shops in the neighborhood, saying there were two other kebab stands nearby. 

Local TV stations and newspapers have given wide coverage to the incident, including footage of the alleged aggressive touting.