MIYAGI (TR) – Miyagi Prefectural Police have announced the arrest of four persons over the alleged smuggling of marijuana inside mannequins last year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (June 26).
In October, Junpei Ono, a 44-year-old independent businessman, and the other three suspects worked together to allegedly smuggle 1.2 kilograms of marijuana packed inside metal rods concealed inside a mannequin.
The contraband — valued at around 6 million yen — was shipped to Japan from the U.S., police said.
In a separate operation in December, the suspects used the same method to smuggle 1.4 kilograms of marijuana, valued at about 7 million yen.
Police did not reveal whether the suspects, all of whom are residents of Sendai City, admit to the allegations.
One of the other three suspects, Takahiro Suzuki, 28, has also been accused of smuggling 2.7 kilograms of kakuseiai, or stimulant drugs, from the U.S. last November. The contraband is valued at around 162 million yen, police said.
The matter was uncovered by a staff member at Yokohama Customs. Police believe the suspects are members of a large illegal drug smuggling ring.
