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German accused of smuggling cocaine inside farm equipment

CHIBA (TR) – A male German national has been prosecuted for allegedly smuggling cocaine inside agriculture machinery earlier this month, authorities said, reports Jiji Press (Aug. 26).

According Tokyo Customs and prosecutors, Sascha Hartmann, 39, arrived at Chiba International Airport on an Aeromexico flight from Panama via Mexico on August 3.

Customs officials later discovered 3 kilograms of cocaine — with a street value of around 60 million yen — concealed inside a pesticide sprayer. The cocaine was inside 14 bags concealed inside a fan portion of the machine, police said.

A pesticide sprayer containing cocaine arrived at Narita International Airport on August 4 (Twitter)

Chiba police arrested Hartmann on August 6. He was prosecuted on Monday. “I did it for money-making purposes,” the suspect was quoted in admitting to the allegations.

Due to a mistake on the part of the airline, the sprayer, which weights 13 kilograms, arrived the day after Hartmann. A customs official discovered the contraband during a subsequent check of the machine.