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Kanagawa police make Japan’s largest ‘dangerous drugs’ bust in Saitama

Mitsuharu Endo
Mitsuharu Endo
KANAGAWA (TR) – As a part of an ongoing investigation into drugs smuggled from China, Kanagawa Prefectural Police on Friday arrested the leader of a huge producer of a highly specialized stimulant, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Feb. 20).

Police charged Mitsuharu Endo, 37, with operating a factory located inside an apartment in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture that manufactured so-called “dangerous drugs,” which have variable chemical structures that can exploit loopholes in the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.

On January 14, officers raided the factory and seized 12 kilograms in drug-making materials. The operation was preparing to ship 2,600 packets of the contraband just prior to the arrival of police.

Police arrested four suspects for violating the pharmaceuticals law. The seizure is the biggest ever recorded in Japan.

Endo, who has been charged with violating the Narcotics Control Law regarding money-making activities, has reportedly denied the allegations.

A document revealed that the operation collected 70 million yen in revenue between September and November of last year.