OSAKA (TR) – A 23-year-old Spanish man was arrested last month over the alleged smuggling of nearly 9,000 tablets of the synthetic drug MDMA and other drugs.
On October 6, Giraldo Alexander Ramirez, who claims to be a chef, is alleged to have attempted to smuggle 9,872 tablets of MDMA, or Ecstasy, and other drugs for the purpose of sale from France into Japan upon arrival at Kansai International Airport.
Police have not revealed whether Ramirez admits to allegations of violating the Narcotics Control Act and the Customs Act, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 6).
According to the police and customs, the street value of the contraband is approximately 54 million yen, making this the third largest seizure of MDMA at Kansai International Airport over the past five years.
Upon the defendant’s arrival, customs officials at the airport were suspicious of the defendant’s suitcase given that they were aware past cases of drug smuggling from France.
When they opened it, they found a glue-like smell and the bottom of the suitcase was suspiciously thick and heavy. Upon testing, the suitcase gave a positive result for illegal drugs.
The MDMA tablets were inside a vacuum-packed plastic bags wrapped them in carbon paper and aluminum foil. These were hidden them in the bottom of his suitcase and in the back of his backpack.
