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Kyoto cops arrest teens in pot-dealing ring that used Line

Students used Line to deal marijuana
Students used Line to deal marijuana

KYOTO (TR) – Kyoto Prefectural Police have broken up a drug-dealing ring in which a pair of high school boys are alleged to have distributed marijuana in Kyoto via the Line smartphone messaging application, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Oct. 6).

In August, one 18-year-old boy bought two grams of marijuana for 12,000 yen from 25-year-old part-time employee Naoki Suenaga. The boy subsequently sold one gram to a 17-year-old friend for 6,000 yen.

Both boys and Suenaga have been charged with violating the Cannabis Control Law regarding possession.

The drugs were then distributed to 11 other students using Line. In August and September, police found smoking equipment at seven residences, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 6). In arranging the deals, the students used code words on Line, such as “neta” (material) and “ticket.”

In another case, police found marijuana at the residences of two other boys, who were arrested on the same charge. The suspects told police that they had purchased five grams of the drug for 25,000 yen in Osaka.

During questioning, one of the boys told police that he smoked the drug “due to stress.”