AICHI (TR) – Authorities here have arrested a 55-year-old Iranian national on suspicion of smuggling approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine into Japan, reports CBC TV (June 23).
Ahmad Hatefi Majoumerd, a self-employed resident of Inuyama City, is accused of violating the Stimulants Control Law. According to police, the suspect smuggled the massive kakuseizai (methamphetamine) shipment into the country from the United Arab Emirates in March.
The haul has an estimated street value exceeding 2 billion yen, authorities said.
In a brazen attempt to bypass border security, the illicit cargo were found cleverly concealed inside a commercial fully automatic bread-baking machine.
According to Nagoya Customs, the 40-kilogram stash marks the largest single seizure of stimulant drugs in the region since the beginning of the Reiwa Era in 2019.
Police have declined to disclose whether Majoumerd has admitted to or denied the allegations.
Investigators are continuing to probe the smuggling route, operating under the assumption that the massive quantity of drugs was intended for domestic sale and distribution.
