Nepali Man, 26, Arrested for Riding Bicycle While Intoxicated in Kitakyushu; "I Drank About One and a Half Beers"
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Fukuoka Prefectural Police's Kokurakita Police Station arrested Sanjaya Khewat, 26, a Nepali national claiming to be a vocational school student, on the spot shortly after 1 a.m. on August 6, 2026, on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act by riding a bicycle while intoxicated on a street in Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City. According to reports by local stations including TNC TV Nishinippon, a patrol car spotted the bicycle weaving without its lights on and asked the rider to stop, leading to the discovery. He reportedly registered a breath alcohol level of 0.66 milligrams per liter, about five times the legal threshold for intoxicated riding.
The suspect admitted to the allegations under questioning, reportedly saying, "I drank about one and a half beers at a Nepali restaurant in Kokura."
Current status: Whether the case will be referred for prosecution remains unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Penalties for intoxicated bicycle riding were strengthened under a 2024 legal revision, and enforcement cases involving foreign nationals, among others, continue to be reported in various regions.