Viral post claims Indian woman caught shoplifting in Japan tried to bribe shopkeepers, police: ‘They respect India very much…’

A woman from an Indian tour group was caught shoplifting from a souvenir shop in Japan and tried to bribe the shop owner and police after being caught, according to a viral post on X.The account was shared by Muthukrishnan Dhandapani, who said the incident happened during a group trip to Japan.Dandapani said members of the group did not know the woman had been stealing items until she was caught in a tourist souvenir shop.“In our group there was a woman shoplifting from the beginning. We were unaware of this. She was caught in a tourist souvenir shop,” he wrote on the X.Dandapani claimed that the woman immediately offered to pay after being arrested. However, the shop owner was more upset by the offer than the alleged theft itself.“The Japanese shopkeeper said they were a high-trust society where theft was rare and Indians were very respectful. He said that in addition to stealing, what offended him was being offered money after being caught,” Dandapani wrote.The owner called the police and the group’s tour manager accompanied the woman to the police station.The woman again offered money at the station, according to the post.“At the police station, the woman also offered money. The Japanese police were not amused,” Dandapani said.He claims police explained that shoplifting is taken seriously in Japan and warned the woman she could face jail time.“They explained how severe the punishment for stealing was and said she needed to go to jail. But she was Indian and they had great respect for India, so she was released with a stern warning,” he wrote.