OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a 40-year-old unemployed man for allegedly supplying dozens of prescription pills to two teenage girls he met at a popular youth gathering spot in Osaka City, reports the Sankei Shimbun (May 27).
Yuki Imagawa, a resident of Higashiosaka City, is known among youths loitering under the famous Glico running man signboard in the Minami district — an area colloquially dubbed “Gurishita” — as “Mr. Pharmacist.”
Upon searching his residence, police seized a staggering stash of over 5,000 pills spanning 14 different types of medication.
Imagawa is accused of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act. During questioning, he told police that he obtained the drugs through legitimate medical consultations. He said, “I was prescribed the medicine while receiving welfare.”
According to Osaka Police, the suspect met a 15-year-old junior high school student and a 17-year-old high school student at a hotel in Osaka in late January.
There, he allegedly handed the girls a total of 60 pills, including sleep-inducing and psychotropic drugs, before allowing them to stay overnight at his home.
The two girls reportedly consumed over 20 pills at a hotel and a karaoke parlor. After leaving Imagawa’s residence, the pair were discovered in a comatose state aboard a train and taken into protective custody. Information provided by the girls after their recovery led investigators directly to Imagawa.
Authorities are continuing to investigate how Imagawa managed to stockpile such a massive quantity of prescription drugs.
