CherryBim — “And there is a difference of an enemy spying against an enemy (it’s expected) and a “friend” spying, which is much worse.” This may be your opinion, but fortunately it is not the law. The law considers spying for an enemy significantly worse, with far more severe sentencing. (I guess most politicians and governments are not as naive as you present, and they expect spying from everyone! There have been many other spies convicted of spying for friendly nations)
Charliehall – The claim of the Bochurim in Japan was that they thought they were legally bringing in antiquities, which were hidden in the false bottoms of the suitcases in order to prevent theft or damage. Prosecutors admit that when they went through customs at the airport they did not act in a way that fit the profile of someone who is nervous or secretive, and they all passed lie detector tests to the effect that they trusted the guy who told them this was legal. There is no reason to assume they were not taught Bava Kamma. Maybe they weren’t taught common sense, but that is a different story. . .