CHIBA (TR) – In two separate cases, three foreigners have been prosecuted over the alleged smuggling of stimulant drugs and Ecstasy earlier this month, reports TBS News (Dec. 28).
On December 9, two Malaysian nationals were allegedly found to be in possession of about 2.7 kilograms of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, upon arrival at Narita International Airport in Narita City.
According to Tokyo Customs, the contraband, which has a street value of about 160 million yen, was concealed in the false bottoms of two suitcases.
“I was asked by an old lady to bring [the suitcases] to a friend in Japan. I did not know they contained stimulant drugs,” one of the suspects was quoted.
The following day, a 53-year-old male national of The Netherlands arrived at the same airport with 14,000 tablets of MDMA, which is also known as Ecstasy, allegedly concealed inside cans and coat hangers placed in a suitcase.
The contraband has a street value of 41.5 million yen, Tokyo Customs said.
During questioning, the suspect said that he was paid 1.9 million yen by a man he met once to bring the suitcase to Japan. “I did not know it contained banned drugs,” he was quoted.
